First Impressions
by Earial13
Summary: It's another day of work for Rey as a radar technician at Starkiller Base. And then there's that new guy Matt... Or: Kylo Ren goes undercover as Matt the Radar Technician and meets the girl of his dreams
1. Beginnings

_A/N: This was originally posted as part of a larger series, but I received multiple requests to continue this story, so here we are. This will probably be one of the last stories I'll post on FanFiction, the rest of my current works and any future stuff can be found on my AO3 account Earial13. Go and check it out!_

* * *

Rey hummed softly to herself as she walked briskly down the polished obsidian halls of Starkiller Base. Another day at work, another day ensuring the giant base ran as smoothly as oiled clockwork. She shifted her shoulders as the scratchy First Order radar technician uniform scraped uncomfortably at her neck. One couldn't expect standard-issue uniforms to fit perfectly, but they might have used a bit better material.

Trust the First Order to be stingy with their employee's and lavish in their products. Rey thought with an eye roll. She promptly quashed the disloyal thought, however, she was lucky to have this job, and the First Order suffered no traitors. _At least it's lunchtime._ Rey's lips quirked upwards in appreciation of the small silver lining. She must have jinxed something somehow, because before she could enter the caf, her comm link pinged.

Rey groaned, already anticipating the contents of the message as she glanced at the comm. Some officer was complaining about a broken 'fresher, and Rey's boss wanted her to fix it, even though Rey was most assuredly not a plumber. None of that mattered to an officer. According to them, if you had a name tag and a 401k, any and all of the employees performed the same functions, regardless of their actual job description.

Rey bit back a sigh of frustration at the thought as she rounded a corner and heard raised voices. One she recognized as her coworker Myra, the other sounded vaguely familiar, yet she couldn't place it until the speakers came into view. The sight that met her wide eyes was a slightly amusing one.

Wires and tools lay strewn about the floor, evidently for the purpose of fixing the large panel in the wall that stood open, sparks shooting from its circuits. Smoke drifted from the black depths of the vent. Myra was squawking angrily at a gangly blonde man wearing ridiculously oversized glasses who fiddled helplessly with the wires, annoyance growing evident on his face.

Ah, the new guy. Matt, if she remembered correctly.

"Does that look like the calcinator?" Myra exclaimed, gesturing towards the sparking wire Matt held up for her inspection. "What's wrong with you? Why's it so hard for you to understand?" Her voice rose with each word, and she looked about ready to give the man a whooping his mother forgot. And Rey knew Myra, she would whoop Matt unless Rey did something.

"I don't know, but can you please stop yelling at me? You're starting to stress me out." Matt retorted, his own voice rising in irritation as he pushed his 2cm-thick glasses up his beaky nose.

Rey felt a twinge of sympathy for the man, she easily recalled her first few weeks on Starkiller base and the distinct lack of support she'd received from her new coworkers. She glanced around the hallway surreptitiously, the officer could wait a few minutes before his precious 'fresher was fixed, and she knew that Myra's supervision over Matt would only cause the both of them greater frustration.

"Hey Myra," She called, making her decision as she stepped up to the pair. "You must be hungry, do you want me to finish helping him while you go take your break?"

Myra's surprised look was only surpassed by the shocked expression on Matt's face. It was rather comical. Myra soon recovered though, and jumped on Rey's offer.

"Why sure, thanks Rey, I haven't had my muffin yet." Myra shot a baleful glower at Matt as she finished, clearly insinuating that she felt he was responsible for her muffin-deprivation.

"No problem," Rey smiled, kneeling down to inspect the open vent as the woman huffed off. "So, trying to rewire the calcinator, huh?" She commented by way of introduction to the newbie.

Matt gazed at her through his thick glasses in puzzlement and slight bewilderment. "Ah, yes...rewiring the calcinator…." He grabbed a pair of pliers upside down and waved them around as if to prove his statement. "Doing just fine, really."

Rey bit back a grin at the man's awkwardness as she pointed into the vent. "Okay, so can you reach that black box for me on the left?"

"The calcinator?" At Rey's nod, Matt hurriedly said, "Of course, that calcinator."

"Grab that red wire and wrap the ends around those two knobs on the calcinator."

Matt's large fingers dwarfed the delicate wires as he fumbled to follow Rey's instructions. He clearly was not meant to be a radar technician. Rey briefly wondered how he'd managed to get the job before pushing the thought away as unkind.

"There's not enough wire on the ends." Matt's voice echoed back from inside the vent.

Rey pushed the pliers at him through the hole. "Strip back some of the plastic coating with these."

There was a pause, a short _snap_ , a thump, and a muffled curse.

"You alright?" Rey asked, bending down in an attempt to see farther into the vent.

"I'm fine." Came the terse reply, before a slight pause. "However, the wire is not."

Rey pursed her lips in amusement, pushing a spare spool of copper wire through the vent. "Take this," She instructed. "And it's fine, you're doing great." She added, hoping the calcinator would still be intact at the end of its rewiring.

There was another loud thunk as Matt hastily extracted his head from the vent to peer at her with big brown eyes. She hadn't noticed their color earlier, obscured as they were by the glasses. Matt squinted as if trying to deduce a problem. "Was that a... _compliment?_ " He sounded weirdly suspicious, and yet...hopeful at the same time.

"Uh, yes?" What was she supposed to say to that?

"I like it." He said decisively. "You should say more of those to me."

* * *

Finally. Rey hummed in delight as she surveyed the canteen for an open seat, holding her tray expectantly. With Matt's unexpected rewiring lesson and the broken 'fresher, she had had to take her lunch almost two hours later than normal.

She spotted a quiet table in the corner and made a beeline for it, plunking down on the hard metal bench with a relieved sigh of gratitude. She was famished, but before she could swallow a bite, someone sat down right next to her. Literally, right next to her, their legs brushing hers. Was personal space no longer a thing or something?

Rey turned her head, about to ask the impudent individual to kindly use the rest of the expansive table available for their use, but the words dried in her throat. It was Matt.

 _Great._ Forcing a fake smile, she grinned and greeted the radar tech cheerfully. "Hey Matt, sorry I didn't realize that was you."

"Most people don't." He said offhandedly, scraping his spoon against the tin food tray.

 _What is that supposed to mean?_ Rey wondered, taking a quick bite of her food to escape more conversation. She had originally meant to be helpful and kind to this Matt guy, as she knew how difficult it was being the odd man out, but he was quickly growing weirder by the minute. She almost choked on her lunch at his next nonchalant comment.

"I saw you in your room this morning."

 _"What?"_

"In your office," He continued, apparently not noticing her violent reaction as he ate his food. "You were talking with your subordinate."

Rey frowned, rehearsing her morning schedule in her mind. "That's not my office, that's our boss's office, and I was talking with our boss." She replied, confused as to Matt's naivete, even given the fact he was a new hire. These were things even a rookie should know.

Matt didn't miss a beat. "Well, you should be the boss, you were clearly destined to rule."

"Rule? Ha, that's a big jump from radar technician, don't you think?" Rey snorted, dismissing the idea. She did actually want to become a supervisor, and was hoping the next promotion would reward her for her hard work. She wasn't going to tell Matt any of that, though.

Her lunch suddenly didn't seem as appealing anymore, and she pushed the table away as she quickly stood. "Good chat, Matt, but I have to get back to work." Rey fibbed, grabbing her tray and making her escape, ignoring Matt's words that floated out after her.

"...should still have 20:00 standard minutes, according to the official First Order employee handbook…"

* * *

It was the end of another long work day. Rey massaged her head, hoping a migraine didn't crop up, she'd had enough headache material for the day. She rummaged in her locker for her bag, eyes falling on the picture of her grandfather. Papa Palps was the reason she had this job to begin with, but Rey preferred to keep her ancestry out of the spotlight. She wanted to earn her place at Starkiller, not have it handed to her like some inheritance. She'd prove she was every bit the leader her grandfather was; she would make him proud.

Rey shut the metal door to her work locker with finality, and jumped when she turned around and found Matt a meter away. "Oh, hi Matt, I didn't see you there." She laughed breathily, trying to cover up the fact he had surprised the kriff out of her.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me today, and for eating lunch with me." He stated solemnly, dark brown eyes unblinking behind his glasses. "I appreciate someone treating me nicely."

"Oh, you're welcome, I remember how I felt when I first got this job. Pretty lonely. Guess the First Order's not big on teamwork, huh?" She cracked a grin at the attempted joke, but Matt remained stoic.

"So you know how it feels to be alone, then?" He observed, pointedly ignoring her last comment.

She paused, uncomfortable with the sudden direction the conversation was taking. "Yeah, sure, I mean, doesn't everybody? We all feel alone once in awhile." She tried to laugh off her uneasiness and the past memories Matt's words were bringing to her mind.

"No, not everybody feels alone." More staring. "Not most people." He was leaning closer to her now.

Rey squirmed and glanced around the room, desperate for something to divert the man's laser-focused attention. Her gaze landed on an open locker, Matt's she supposed, that bore a large poster of Kylo Ren.

"Big fan of the boss?" She asked, pointing towards the poster. Mercifully, Matt turned and followed her gaze.

"Yes, Kylo Ren is the best. Did you know that he has an eight-pack? That he's shredded?"

Rey's comm suddenly beeped and her boss's voice rasped over it, _"Rey, you better not be off the clock yet, I need you in Quadrant A113 immediately!"_ Rey silently thanked the powers that be for saving her from answering Matt's awkward questions, even if it meant overtime. If there was one thought that had never entered her mind before today, it was the number of Kylo Ren's abs. _Oh stars, I never want to think of Kylo Ren and eight-packs in the same sentence again._

"Well, I have to go, but it was nice talking to you, and I'll see you tomorrow!" She called over her shoulder to Matt as she practically raced out the door.

Matt aka Kyo Ren watched her leave with a measure of regret. In the midst of the literal hell that was being a (even temporary) radar technician, Rey had been the one bright spot in his day. She was nice to him, simply because….she was nice. There were no ulterior motives (that he knew of anyways), she talked to him and helped him because she wanted to, not because he was their boss that could fire and/or kill them on a moment's notice.

He paused to appreciate the lovely poster of himself, shut the horrid little locker, and stalked out of the room, deep in thought. He almost wouldn't mind staying a radar technician for a few more days, if it meant he could interact more with Rey. His lips twitched upwards at the thought, but his countenance quickly turned sour when he recalled her evident desire to escape his company moments ago. His feelings, err, enjoyment of their shared company was obviously not mutual.

Maybe proving he had a eight-pack would help.


	2. Second Time Around

Kylo Ren was having a wonderful morning. Not only had he made a semi-acquaintanceship-friendship-possible-future-mate-Maker-she-was-attractive-relationship the previous day with Rey, he had also discovered some intriguing information about the pretty radar technician's family (one of the perks of being the boss was uncontrolled access to the supposedly confidential employee files). And like any lonely, resourceful and powerful virgin on the verge of becoming obsessed with a girl, Kylo took the natural route and spent three standard hours stalking-"researching"-Rey. It was then he ran across just who Rey's grandfather was, none other than the Emperor Palpatine himself. Kylo felt giddiness-actual giddiness- bubbling up inside his stomach. Clearly, this budding relationship had the full blessing of the Dark Side and both respective grandfathers.

It was destiny.

Kylo's own words from yesterday about Rey being "made to rule" floated back into his mind, and he smirked at the poetic irony of it all. She would rule, he would ensure it, and not only that, she would stand by his side as the new vice-president of Starkiller Base and subsidiaries. He glanced at a nearby table on which rested his masterful Matt disguise. He'd made sure to carefully comb out the bottle blonde locks of the fake wig before retiring the night before. Not exactly heartthrob material but it would have to do.

Originally, he'd only intended to go undercover for a day or two at most, but the idea of becoming better acquainted with Rey on multiple fronts was irresistible. Maybe he could find out what she thought of Kylo Ren, sway her to his side without her even realizing it. He thought of the multiple posters of himself he'd had made and an actual grin broke across his features. Rey didn't stand a chance against him.

* * *

Rey scrubbed her face wearily, blinking back the vestiges of sleep that stubbornly remained even in the early afternoon. She had clocked in over five hours of overtime last night, and had promptly crashed on her bed when she had reached her quarters.

The early morning had been rough, and Rey was grateful there were no awkward Matt-interactions to deal with on top of her already sleep-deprived state. The bumbling newbie had been nowhere to be found the entire morning, and Rey firmly pushed aside any traces of concern for the missing technician. Currently, she was simply grateful for the chance to rest her feet as she sat down to eat lunch.

Unlike yesterday, she was able to finish her meal in peace, and Rey couldn't help but feel surprised and-was that slight disappointment? While Rey was friendly with all her coworkers, she was still somewhat of an outsider, and normally ate alone. In that sense she had empathized with Matt and his poor social skills, or lack thereof.

However, part of her exclusion resulted from choosing to finish late-night work rather than going out for a drink with the other technicians. The other part came from knowing deep down that none of her coworkers truly cared about her or her goals. Rey hummed resignedly. If giving up a few drinks and potential shallow friendships was all it took to prove she was capable, to prove herself a leader like Papa Palps, then it was a small price to pay. She realized she hadn't minded Matt's awkward conversations too terribly, except when he started asking about her personal life. Oh well.

"Hey Rey." It was Tim, one of the few stormtroopers who deigned to talk to her. The First Order was a caste-driven system, despite what everyone (and all the brochures) said to the contrary, but Tim had always been friendly with new employees and people he wouldn't normally come in contact with. "You haven't seen that new guy Matt around, have you?"

"If I had, I have a strong suspicion he'd be here bothering me." Rey cracked a smile to show there was no venom behind her words. "I haven't seen him since last night, sorry."

Tim shrugged it off. "No prob, just thought I'd ask since he seemed so fascinated with you yesterday. Uh, uh, uh, don't try to deny it," The stormtrooper chuckled as Rey began to protest weakly. "He kept asking me questions about you, what you were like, what your taste in men was, etc. Creepy, huh?"

"That's one word for it." Rey grimaced, mentally recanting her sympathetic leanings towards the new hire. "He's also apparently obsessed with Kylo Ren."

"Oh, I know," Tim nodded, turning and pointing to the wall where a large graffitied poster of the boss hung. Various disgruntled employees had scribbled less-than-complimentary epithets across the glossy print. "He freaked out yesterday when he saw that. Personally, I think the nickname Cry-lo Ren is pretty clever." The chunky stormtrooper snickered. "Anywho, see you around, Mrs. Matt! Hope you find Lover Boy!" And Tim was off to another table and group of employees before Rey could even articulate a response, much less a rebuttal.

Rolling her eyes, she rose to carry her now-empty tray to the dirty dishes chute, when the familiar ping of her comm link distracted her from her busy thoughts.

Glancing down to see the message, Rey's eyes widened and she nearly dropped the tray. Kylo Ren wanted to have a private interview with her. This was it, someone had seen her potential, her hard work was about to pay off. Rey smothered the rapidly rising feeling of elation, determined not to get her hopes up. For all she knew, this interview could be about anything from a broken holo to that supposed eight-pack of his. A rosy flush stained her cheeks at the traitorous thought Matt had put there yesterday.

 _Focus, Rey._

Disposing of her tray, she quickly made her way to Kylo Ren's office, heart thudding in time to the clack of her boots on the polished granite floors. The short comm had given her brief but clear directions to the office of the Master of the Knights of Ren, and Rey rubbed her clammy palms on her rough pant leg, attempting to shake out the nervousness that stole into her fingers.

She had no idea what someone as important as Kylo Ren could want with her, but she prayed it didn't have anything to do with her bloodline. Her first few weeks at Starkiller, she'd lived in terror that the executives would discover her ancestry and spontaneously throw a celebratory party, pushing her onto a podium and chanting "speech, speech, speech!" while her employees were forced to pay homage around her. Rey's lips twisted in humor in remembrance of her absurd worries.

Kylo Ren's office was in a quiet and remote part of the base, and Rey hesitated at the threshold of the imposing obsidian door. Before she could press the comm link, the door buzzed and slid open with a quiet hiss.

"You may enter." A mechanical and distorted voice spoke from inside, pulling her into the austere and minimalistic office where the owner of the voice was standing behind a large black desk.

Rey had seen Kylo Ren from afar many times at various work gatherings, where it was expected for the bosses to come and give "motivational (and mandatory) peptalks" to their employees. Kylo Ren's peptalk had consisted of congratulating them for not annoying him enough to warrant their demise by his hand.

Now, in such close proximity, Rey realized just how tall the man was, towering over her small frame and filling the office with his intimidating presence.

"You wished to speak with me, sir." Rey stated respectfully, unsure if she should salute or perform some other such military nonsense. She decided against the action; he was only her boss after all, and not her emperor. The anxiety in her chest eased a little as Kylo settled into his chair.

"Yes, Rey, the girl I've heard so much about." It was difficult to discern his emotions through the crackle of the voice distorter, but his inflection seemed to suggest interest. Rey wished she could see his real face, and not some silly mask that looked like it'd been polished within an inch of its life. And was that incense she smelled burning?

"Would you care for a drink?" He asked, causing Rey's eyebrows to shoot upwards at the unexpected request.

"Um, sure, thank you."

"Wine?" He sounded hopeful.

"Caf, please."

Kylo held out his hand, a cup of caf flying from across the room into his outstretched fingers. "Please sit down," He instructed, Force-floating the cup across the shiny desktop towards Rey.

Show off. Rey snorted internally, curling her fingers around the caf and relishing the warmth that radiated from the cup and seeped into her cold skin.

"It has come to my attention that Starkiller has the good fortune to possess an employee with no ordinary level of skill and leadership material." Kylo began, shifting- fidgeting- in his oversized desk chair. "We at Starkiller pride ourselves on recognizing such potential with proper rewards."

Rey could hardly believe her ears. Not two days ago she had despaired of the work politics and plain obscurity that were hindering her goal. Now the President of Starkiller, a multi-million-unit operation, was personally commending her work ethic. It was a signal of approval from Papa Palps, it had to be. She stayed silent though, not wishing to presume anything and risk everything.

"Naturally, I am referring to you." Kylo continued, inclining his head in her direction as his voice dropped lower, a feat Rey didn't think possible.

"Thank you, sir. It is both an honor and a pleasure to help further the cause and maintenance of the base-" Rey replied, her words spilling out in grateful relief. This was it, her chance had finally come. She stopped short as smooth jazz music flowed into the room from hidden speakers, but Kylo seemingly took no notice of the interruption.

"Due to the many glowing reports of your hard work, I have decided to make you the vice president of Starkiller base, where you will rule alongside me as my equal in everything but title."

Rey blinked in shocked astonishment. Surely this was a dream; it was too fantastical for the realm of reality. Her, an entry-level radar technician promoted on a whim to Vice President of one of the largest corporations in the First Order? She discreetly pinched herself, unsure how one was supposed to respond to a dream job offer, no matter how far fetched. It might have been her imagination, but the music appeared to increase in volume and the scent of musky cologne invaded her nostrils.

"I….uh...I'm afraid I don't understand sir." She stuttered, her tongue tripping over her words as her mind scrambled to make sense of the unnatural proceedings.

"You. Vice President. Me. President. Us. Ruling Starkiller together." Kylo stated matter-of-factly, as coolly as if he were ordering a sandwich from the canteen. "What else is there to understand?"

"I, I don't mean to argue with you sir, but I'm just a radar technician, I haven't even worked here a full year, and there are surely more qualified people than I-"

"More qualified?!" Kylo Ren burst out, his legendary temper flaring in a frightening burst of anger. "I'd like to see a single employee on this whole entire base that even remotely compares to you." He took a deep breath, collecting himself with an effort.

"You, you really mean it?" Rey questioned, unable to keep the suspicion from leaking into her tone. Her head was spinning and she needed a moment to collect her turbulent thoughts. "This isn't some sort of twisted joke?"

"Do I look like a man who makes jokes?" Kylo demanded, an edge of annoyance creeping into his voice. "Just accept your destiny as vice president and take the position….please." He added, tacking the word on like a half-forgotten courtesy.

Rey inhaled the comforting aroma of caf, exhaling slowly as she eyed the masked CEO. It still felt too impossibly surreal, but Rey was past the point of analyzing her good fortune. Maybe it was a sign from Papa Palps, signaling his approval at her efforts. Maybe it was time she donned the power and privilege she'd been born into, maybe it was time to train formally in the Force, maybe…..

She set the cup down gently, extending her hand to Kylo, willing her arm to remain steady in spite of the nerves that twitched at her muscles. "I would be honored to help lead Starkiller Base to an even brighter future." Her lips quirked as she watched Kylo ceremoniously remove his glove and she restrained a gasp at the cool grip of steel that encased her small hand.

"The honor is mine." Kylo replied after a minute of silence, still firmly holding her hand. A pregnant pause followed.

Rey coughed awkwardly, tugging her hand free. Stars knows she'd had enough uncomfortable dealings with socially unaware men. "Soooo, when do I start?" She breathed, wishing to break the thick tension that had flooded the room. The heady smell of incense was overpowering, and pressure started to build in Rey's temples. The music had morphed into what she was 90% certain was a Mandalorian love medley.

"Right," Kylo said briskly, replacing his glove and rising to pace the spacious office, rattling off expectations and plans like he'd spent the night figuring out the minutiae (which was closer to the truth than Rey would have been comfortable with knowing).

"-told him that he'd have to get used to following orders from his superiors, but Hux tends to be stubborn. Inform me immediately if he is harassing you or refusing to comply….We'll change the outfit of course, I took the liberty of looking up your size and having some attire made up for you….My grandmother was a queen, so I think you'll find them fitting as my consort, err, business partner...Oh! Mustn't forget your training in the Force either….Of course, someone with your bloodline should have no trouble learning….I have a wonderful training room, the Knights are no equal match one-on-one, but against six you should have no-"

 _"Wait."_ Rey broke in sharply, cutting him off with a fierce glare. "What did you say about my bloodline?"

"You are the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine." Kylo commented, cocking his head as if confused by her reaction. "You do know who your parents are, don't you?"

"Of course I know who my parents _and_ grandparents are." Rey snapped, shooting out of her chair in indignation. She felt so small and weak sitting before the hulking mass of Ren that towered over her. "My question is, how do _you_ know that?"

He shrugged. "I have access to employee files." _Obviously_ , his tone implied.

"That's a breach of employer/employee confidentiality." Rey gritted her teeth as sick realization flooded her senses. "Do you even know anything about my actual skills and abilities? Or is that why you offered me the position? Because of who my grandfather was?"

"Why else would I call in some nobody-radar technician and offer her the second most powerful job on the base?" Kylo asked shortly, his voice growing clipped to match the bubbling frustration in Rey. "You were born to rule, admit it. Why scrounge in entry-level obscurity where no one will recognize or appreciate your talents? You could command this entire base, why hide who you truly are?"

"My grandfather worked his way up from "entry-level obscurity" to become the most-feared man in the galaxy." Rey snarled, the dismay and disappointment that curdled in her stomach fueling the rage in her blood. "He didn't rely on his past connections to pave his future; he created his own path, and I intend to do the same. When I ascend to power, it will be because I've earned it, not because some hot-shot grandson of Darth Vadar promoted me who can't even manage his own base without his Force-deaf lackeys." She gasped for breath after her tirade, simultaneously frightened and gleeful at her impassioned outburst. She only wished she could see Ren's facial reactions. The stuck-up little prince.

"This, then, is how I am repaid." Kylo growled menacingly, stalking over to Rey, his fists clenching as his voice dropped dangerously. "I had thought someone with your ancestry might at least attempt some semblance of diplomacy, but it no longer matters. You will rule Starkiller with me, if I have to destroy half of the base to do it."

"I'd rather chew on bantha fur than rule with you simply because of my bloodline." Rey spat, feeling the telltale pressure of power she'd striven to suppress grow at the base of her skull. Kylo had no idea who he was dealing with.

"You'll never get anywhere without my help." His words were tense and bitter. "I will make sure of it. You'll never see the faintest hint of a promotion or raise until you accept who you are and your place by my side. Do you honestly think your grandfather would be proud of how you're working like a common slave, refusing your rightful position?"

"If I remember my history books correctly, someone else's grandfather actually _was_ a slave." The reply shot back with all the sting of painful reality.

Kylo staggered as though he'd been physically struck. "Take it back."

"Take back the truth? Not likely."

"Well, your grandfather would be ashamed to call you family." He burst out petulantly, bending down to glare (she assumed) into her face.

Rey didn't know who started it, all she remembered was the red mist clouding her vision- _how_ dare _he speak as if he knew what Papa would and wouldn't be proud of_ -and screams erupting from her throat as metal support beams crumpled like fabric, glass shattering and flying, the roar of Kylo Ren's rage shaking her bones.

* * *

She woke up in her bunk with a massive migraine and an even bigger sense of incredulity. _That punk._ He actually had the _nerve-_ She clenched her fists, she'd show that pampered child, she would succeed without his ridiculous and ethically questionable promotions. Her better judgment caught up with her, and a wave of panic struck. What was she thinking, screaming at her boss, Force-wrecking his office? It was a wonder they hadn't escorted her off the base already.

The sound of someone moving nearby caused her to hastily rise, eliciting a yelp of pain as her head protested the sudden movement.

"Easy, honey, you had a hard knock there." Myra stood next to her bunk, holding a hot cup of tea that she pushed into her hands.

"I'm not...fired?" Rey questioned uneasily, massaging the soreness out of the back of her neck.

Myra snorted amusedly. "You? Naw, Bryon said to take the rest of the hour off, but he needs you back today so long as it's not a concussion."

"Naturally," Rey groaned, accepting the tea and slowly sipping the semi-bitter concoction, relief temporarily replacing the headache and nausea. "How long was I out?"

"Thirty minutes or so, they said you slipped and fell in the office of the Big Cheese himself."

"Yeah, it was an...experience." Rey managed, grateful for the half-truthful alibi. She had no wish to further explain herself to well-intentioned but notoriously gossipy coworkers. "Thank you, Myra." She added, her tired facial muscles manufacturing a small smile. "Tell Bryon I'll be out in twenty."

Myra hummed in acknowledgement, exiting the room soon after. She popped her head back in the doorway to deliver one final message. "By the way, that technology-challenged Matt-guy is asking after you. Should I tell him you're alright?"

Rey sighed. "Yes, that's fine." She collapsed back on the bunk, inhaling deep, soothing breaths, psyching herself up to finish the rest of the work day.

The galaxy was just not cutting her any slack today.

* * *

Kylo had spent the better part of the hour venting his anger and rage on his hapless office walls (or at least what remained of them). How dare she reject him! With her haughty princess airs, making snide comments about Darth Vadar, as if she was too good for his descendants! He would change her mind, he must! The fact that her refusal had only made her appear even more attractive infuriated him to no end.

Kylo growled and punched the button for a cleanup droid with a viciousness that cracked the innocent panel, ignoring its squeal of protest. He was desperate to escape the claustrophobic atmosphere; he needed to train, to blow off steam.

One intense workout later, he was back in his chambers and able to calmly and rationally collect his thoughts. Rey still didn't know he was Matt the radar technician, and that could be used to his advantage. As Matt, he could gain her friendship and garner her sympathy towards Kylo Ren. As Matt, he could convince her to join him. His mind flashed to the poster in his work locker and Rey's flustered reaction to the simple idea of his eight-pack. He smirked, imagining her face if she saw the real deal up close and personal, as confident assurance relaxed his tight shoulder muscles.

This would be easier than he initially thought.

* * *

 _A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts! Reviews are what inspire my muse and get me writing. Follow me on Tumblr earial13 for updates and fun stuff!_


	3. Third Time's A Charm

It took nearly all of the twenty minutes for Rey's migraine to subside.

She sucked in the air between her teeth as the blood rushed to her head upon standing, pointedly ignoring the way the walls were rippling and swaying as she made her way to her supervisor Bryon's office.

The man was understanding enough, though Rey had no idea just how much of the truth he'd been told about her encounter with Kylo Ren. He confirmed Myra's statement that Rey's job was still intact, though Rey couldn't help but wonder at the seeming lack of retaliation on Kylo's part, especially after all the boastful talk of "winning her over."

"-but they did say you will be put on indefinite probation for the time being, so no extra days off or any vacation until further notice." Byron was saying as he flipped through Rey's employee files that were splashed across the screen before him.

 _And there's the promised revenge bit._ "Duly noted, sir."

"Finally, Myra mentioned how well you helped the new guy out, so I want him to shadow you on your rounds. Show him the ropes and all that."

"Matt?" Rey gasped, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at how backwards her day was going. Fate (or the Force-she didn't know which at this point) seemed determined to push her and the bumbling, beak-nosed man together. Fine. Okay. Swell. "Yes sir." She murmured, turning and exiting the office at his disinterested wave of dismissal. And bumped right into Matt.

"Oh, stars, sorry Matt, I didn't see you there." She started, muscles instinctively tensing at the sudden meeting and prepping for another uncomfortable conversation.

"I forgive you." He was uncharacteristically quiet, though he was was dressed and looked exactly the same as yesterday. Yet something was different. He seemed agitated, and Rey traced a bead of sweat slipping from underneath his platinum locks and noted the dark eye rings behind his thick glasses.

"You okay?" She asked hesitatingly, unsure if her well-meant question would spawn an avalanche of over-sharing as they headed down the hall together.

Matt stopped in his tracks, snapping out of his mood as he swiveled to stare at her with those big bantha eyes of his. "Are you concerned about me?"

Rey couldn't help the twitch of her lips. The man acted like he'd never had a single positive thing said to him in his entire life. Maker knew, maybe he hadn't.

"You looked a little frazzled." She explained. "Just checking that everything's fine."

"Everything's fine, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be fine, don't I look fine?" Matt protested defensively, definitively proving that he was anything but fine.

Rey shrugged in resignation. If he wasn't going to share his problems with her, she wouldn't push it. Time for a topic change. "So, apparently you're my apprentice now."

"Bryon told me." He nodded sagely. "A wise decision on his part."

He didn't elaborate further, and there was a brief period of silence before Matt broke the quiet with a random question.

"Do people normally not notice radar technicians?"

"Hm? Well, mostly high-ranking officers and the rest of the executive board. It's their job to ignore people like us….unless they have a broken 'fresher." The last sentence was infused with bitterness. "But then again, there are some friendly officers who don't treat us like trash. Take Zack for example. He and Tim are close, and Zack usually eats with us in the canteen instead of the fancy officer's lounge."

Matt thought for a minute. "You know who people do notice though?"

"The Terminal Punishment Squadron?" Rey joked half-heartedly.

"Kylo Ren." He proclaimed, as if it were a given fact of life. Tatooine was sandy, Hoth was cold, and Kylo Ren was the best.

Rey stifled a groan. The last person she wanted to talk or think about was Kylo kriffing Ren. "They notice him all right," She gritted out between her teeth. "If he had a bigger ego his helmet would explode from his swollen head." She caught Matt's crushed expression and immediately regretted her harsh, albeit truthful, words. Kylo was Matt's hero for some odd reason, and the least she could do was not bash the head boss in his devotee's presence.

"I mean, he does have some good qualities…." She offered as they reached the control room they were fixing. Her mind scrambled for a positive attribute of the angsty CEO. "He's….um...tall, I guess."

"190.50 centimeters, to be exact." Matt remarked, accepting her attempt at an apology without additional comment.

Rey stiffened as an image of Kylo's black presence towering over her in his office came unbidden to mind, and how small and fragile she had felt in his shadow. The memory was far more pleasant than it should have been.

She scubbed her face, uncomfortable at the tingling sensation in it, and kneeled to look at a processing circuit. Enough of Kylo Ren, they had a job to do, and she wanted the rest of this day to fly by. She was in the middle of explaining the difference between resistors and capacitors when she glanced up to see Matt intently scanning her face. "Uh, Matt?" She asked, wondering how long he'd been spacing off and how much she'd have to re-explain.

"You seem distressed, Rey." He observed bluntly, eyes surprisingly keen behind his thick lenses. "And you look like you got run over by a speeder bike."

Well, that was unnecessary. Didn't everyone ever tell you to quit while you're ahead? Any other day and with any other person, Rey would have bristled at the insult and snapped out a smart reply, but today she was just too tired and done with everything. Besides, Matt's unintentionally offending statements were simply the results of his pitiful lack of social skills. He rubbed her the wrong way occasionally, but it was becoming a comfortable irritant, this dorky, clueless, curious man. Who still didn't know squat about being a technician.

"Thanks Matt, it's just...been a really rough day." She evaded, focusing on the circuit boards again. Technology was simple, logical, practical. Emotions and interactions with other people were not.

"Did you get fired?" He inquired without preamble, undaunted by her skirting of the conversation.

"Thank the Maker, no! I had…" She paused, gnawing her lip indecisively. If she mentioned Kylo to Matt he would freak out, and there was no way he'd understand her choices, plus she couldn't trust him to keep her heritage secret. None of her coworkers knew who she really was. She settled for the streamlined, Kylo-free version. "I had an argument, fell down and whacked my head, and got a migraine."

Matt squinted down at her, clearly unconvinced she'd told the entire story, but the expression quickly faded. "You should lie down then, why didn't those idiots send you home?" He interrogated, voice tinged with frustration. "You could have a concussion. Do you feel sleepy? Can you speak without slurring?" He bent and peered into her eyes, deadly serious in his examination as he clumsily waved his fingers in front of her. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Rey snorted, amusement at his needless worry temporarily outriding any glum or depressed feelings. "I'll be fine, Matt," She insisted, gently pushing his hand away. "And I don't have a concussion, I just need to make it through the rest of this day and hopefully not get called in for overtime."

Matt was silent, his large lips pursed in thought. "You really do work hard, don't you?" It sounded like a comment from previous conversation, one she'd never with him.

"My grandfather taught me to work hard, and work smart." _And kill whomever you need to,_ Rey thought, purposefully omitting the last ingredient in Papa Palps' oft quoted "Recipe to Galactic Domination." She wasn't sure how pro-Empire her new protege was, though given his obsession with Kylo Ren, she figured he stood a good chance of sharing her political sympathies.

"Were you close with him?" Matt squatted to be on eye-level with her, square hands fiddling with the plasma cutter on his tool belt.

The simple question dredged up a slew of complicated emotions. A lump rose in Rey's throat and she cursed her stinging eyes. "Yes," She whispered, afraid her voice would crack, that she would crack, splinter into a thousands fragments, if she spoke another word. The wires before her wavered as water filled her eyes and carefully filed memories swarmed her mind. Normally she kept a close watch on thoughts that heralded strong emotions, but her mental guards were strained to the limit and the memories tumbled freely through her brain. Picking out her first blaster together. Getting to see her first interrogation, and being awed by the lightning sparking from Papa Palps' hands. Sitting on his knee, enraptured as he spun stories of the glorious Sith and their conquests against the loathsome Jedi. The way her entire world crashed and burned with the fall of the second Death Star. Everyone she'd loved, gone. Dead. Dust.

There was silence as Rey struggled to discreetly compose herself without revealing just how very close she was to breaking.

"I never knew my grandfather." Matt's words were low and subdued, and surprisingly understanding for someone who was usually in a state of perpetually unawareness. "I'd give anything to have memories with him, even bad ones."

Rey sniffed, mulling the statement over. Despite her inner reluctance at admitting it, Matt had a valid point. She was lucky to have had so many wonderful times with Papa Palps, and the cold hard lump of grief she'd carried for so long lurched in her chest. That icy rock had pushed her away from the Force, from developing her abilities, abilities that only killed those who practiced them. Maybe, just maybe, that rock could start to thaw a little. She shook her head to clear her muddled head. Or maybe not.

"Yeah...well, thanks Matt, but we should really get back to work." She replied, effectively shutting the conversation and her rampant thoughts down.

"But we were in the middle of sharing deep, complex emotional issues." Matt was incredulous at her remark. "I was even being _sensitive_. Isn't that what they call bonding? _Connecting?_ "

"Heh. I guess." Rey half-laughed uncomfortably. And there goes that moment. "But these breakers won't fix themselves."

Matt glared at the offending circuitry as though it had personally insulted his mother. "And they say technology has evolved." He scoffed, resignedly pulling out his heavy-duty mallet and examining the delicate panels in front of him with the air of an executioner before his victim. "Let's fix this bundle of wires."

"If it technology had changed that much, we would be out of a job." She reminded him, eying the trigger-happy smirk spreading across his face as he lifted the hefty tool. "And put that mallet away, we don't need it." She added, wrenching a screw loose from a conduction panel.

"Well, that's just stupid." Matt muttered in regret, pouting as he tossed the heavy mallet over his shoulder.

"No, wait-!"

Both technicians collectively winced at the sound of crunching metal.

"Oops."

* * *

At the end of the night, Rey and Matt strode back down the sleek hallways with the rest of the radar technicians, headed for the locker room to clock out. Suddenly, the whine of the PA system came over the loudspeakers, and General Hux's snooty voice crackled throughout the halls.

 _"Attention all staff of Starkiller Base. Tomorrow at 09:00 standard hours there will be a mandatory rally in Hangar Bay 712B regarding annual promotions and terminations. CEO Kylo Ren will also be in attendance. As you common folk say, be there or be a common quadrilateral shape."_

A buzz of static, and the listening halls gradually resumed their normal bustle of activity.

"Gee, I bet you're excited, huh? With Kylo going to be there and everything." Rey commented, trying to ignore the queasy feeling twisting her insides. Myra and Bryon had reassured her that her job was secure, but even with knowing Kylo for the short time she had, she fully expected some form of public humiliation or calling out at the rally. The timing was just too coincidental for anything else.

"It will be a speech for the ages." Matt proclaimed confidently, opening his rather bare locker and tenderly caressing the poster inside. "I heard that Kylo Ren has been giving speeches since he was five, that he's like, super good at it. Like almost as good as Darth Vadar."

Rey smiled and shook her head wordlessly. She may have multiple grudges against the spoiled CEO, but it was amusing to see how passionate his fans were in spite of their hero's many, many flaws.

"Yeah, well, goodnight Matt. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight….Rey."

* * *

Back in his quarters, Kylo inhaled deeply, running a hand through his natural dark hair, relishing the freedom from the scratchy wig. He'd discovered countless and complex facets of Rey he'd never imagined before, and he almost regretted how quickly he'd attempted to promote her. Almost. Their similar experiences and backgrounds, their connection, was all just more proof of their destiny together as Starkiller's leaders. He'd originally intended to promote the merits of CEO Kylo Ren far more and show her the error of her illogical reasoning, but that could wait until tomorrow. Tonight had been….different and unexpected, and for a fleeting moment he felt a greater sense of sympathy for the girl than desire to "win" the battle of wills.

It was a very brief moment.

His eye fell on a large square package on his dressing table, and he eagerly opened the bulky box, pulling out the contents with satisfaction. Tomorrow he declared war on Rey's stubborn ways.

* * *

Rey was whistling as she stowed her outer jacket in her locker, pausing momentarily to linger over Papa Palps' picture tucked in the inside of the little metal door. Squaring her shoulders, she marched into the main hallways of Starkiller, and promptly stopped short in disbelief.

The grey and black walls were covered from floor to ceiling with posters, papered and overlaid like AT-AT armor. And every single one of the posters featured some form of Kylo Ren posing, shirtless, flaunting and flexing his legendary eight-pack from the entire galaxy to see.

 _"Oh sweet kriffing mother of-"_

The normally short walk to Hangar 712B seemed interminable. Rey's face was scarlet by the time she made it to the rally. She had no doubts that Kylo had very intentionally smothered those posters across the walls; she hadn't forgotten his threats to sway her to his side. She pulled at the strands of hair escaping from her trio of buns, vainly hoping to hide the red flush spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.

She glanced around the full hangar, expecting to see Matt's bottle blonde locks bobbing in the crowd, but the newbie radar technician was nowhere to be seen.

Rey's brow furrowed in slight puzzlement, but her thoughts were broken by the eminent arrival of General Hux, who marched down the wide aisle lined with stormtroopers to the front of the hangar. Rey peeked in between the lines of white trooper armor just as another figure crossed the floor in long, powerful strides. It was Kylo Ren.

Rey felt a brief spike of anger surge through her as the dark princeling made his way to the raised speaking platform. He claimed that she was nothing without him, that she couldn't succeed at Starkiller without his assistance. Let him think so. She'd prove him wrong if took everything she had, if she had to open herself back up to the Force to do it.

Hux cleared his throat pretentiously and began. "Staff, officers, troopers," _Scum_ , his tone implied. "We are gathered here today to remind you of our inspired purpose and vision at Starkiller Base. That vision requires certain levels of effort from each of you. Some of you have shown yourself loyal to our cause and given yourself reason for commendation. Others, reason for termination."

An uneasy murmur rippled through the crowd. Everyone dreaded these large rallies, as employees could be fired (and had been) for the most minute of details. The Incident of the Last Donut was one that lived in infamy at Starkiller.

"With that, I give you the CEO of Starkiller Base, Kylo Ren!"

Loud applause, simply because no one wanted to be Force-choked out due to a lack of participation. Unfortunately that bit of information had been learned the hard way (R.I.P. Carl). Kylo required a great deal of validation in both his role as head boss and in his speeches.

The CEO stalked to the front of platform, his masked visage silently surveying the crowd. When he spoke, the mechanical whine of his voice distorter echoed throughout the cavernous room.

"The First Order and Co. was created with the intent of constantly innovating, pushing the boundaries of the possible, preforming with only the best workers, and crushing our competition, namely the Resistance Inc."

A few scattered 'boo's' in response to the mention of the rival company.

"When President Snoke approached me about starting a daughter corporation, one that would finish the Resistance once and for all, I wholeheartedly agreed." Kylo continued. "And now I stand before you as the CEO of one of the most successful companies in the galaxy!"

More loud, polite applause. Rey shifted her feet, anxious for the whole affair to be over as she craned her neck to scan the people around her, half-expecting Matt to pop up by her elbow. His absence was weird, and very un-Matt-like, given that his idol was speaking a mere twenty meters away. It had been nice having someone to work and converse with beyond trivialities, and Rey didn't realize how much she'd grown to appreciate Matt's company in the past 24 hours until she was suddenly deprived of it.

"Of course, there have been challenges." Kylo paused, and Rey swore his gaze was fixated on her. She could feel the heat of his burning eyes, and the hairs on her arm rose as a strange sensation prickled at her skin.

His next statement was measured and chosen with care, weighty inflection giving new meaning to each word. "There have been those who do not care about Starkiller Base or our sacred mission, and also those who allow old-fashioned ideas of integrity and honor to impede their path to greater potential."

Yup, definitely intended for her.

"This will not be tolerated. Starkiller will have the leadership it requires and deserves."

The unwelcome pressure she'd learned to distrust over the years rubbed at the base of Rey's skull. The quiet shuffle of bored feet, the chuffing of the giant air vents above, the hum of the generator were muted like a faulty holorecorder and the world seemed to dissipate into nothingness, until all that remained was the black form of Kylo Ren.

 _Join me._

Then it was gone. Sound gradually returned to her senses, and she belatedly realized people were applauding as Kylo stepped off the platform and allowed Hux to take center stage. The CEO made a rapid exit as the general began reciting the list of names for promotion or termination.

About halfway through, Rey heard a deep voice close by her ear and nearly jumped a meter in the air in surprise.

"Hey." It was Matt, looking as if he'd dressed in the dark after being spun around multiple times like those games she'd played as a child.

"Stars, Matt! A warning would be nice!" Rey whispered tersely, strangely happy to see him, her annoyance at being startled evaporating as quickly as it came.

"Sorry." He whispered back, loud enough to draw several nearby shushes. "I had to get good front-row viewing for Kylo Ren's speech."

"Ah, I should have known."

Hux finally finished his long-winded list, and Rey felt sympathy tug at her chest as the unlucky ex-employees were unceremoniously escorted from the hangar. The rally was adjourned with more pomp and fanfare as the executive board exited with hangar. The departure of the high-ranking officers was like the breaking of a dam, as people began to chat and make small talk on their way back to their jobs.

"Hey Matt, Rey! How's it going?" Removing his helmet, Tim strolled over to the pair, clapping them both on the shoulders in a friendly gesture. "Woo, can't stand these buckets." He exclaimed, combing fingers through his sweat-plastered hair.

"It's going." Rey greeted the chunky trooper. "At least we didn't have to stand at attention like you guys did, though."

"Did you hear that speech, Tim?" Matt interrupted rhetorically, enthusiastically gesturing towards the now-empty platform. "A buddy of mine told me Kylo Ren didn't even use notes, that he did it all on the spot. From memory. "

"Yeah, it was alright." Tim shrugged noncommittally, more interested in adjusting his betaplast armor than lauding the speaking prowess of the unpopular boss.

 _"Alright?"_ Matt's face soured in vexation.

"Yeah, it was...something." Rey laughed lightly, tugging on Matt's sleeve before he dove for the stormtrooper's throat. "Kylo sure knows how to hold a captive audience." She added for the sake of the tense radar technician by her side.

Matt relaxed, his affronted Kylo pride mollified. "You're right, and it's even more impressive to speak so eloquently in front of 21,000 individuals. Just think of all the amazing things Kylo can do. Did I mention he works out?"

It was the beginning of a lengthy discourse, but thankfully Tim interjected with a short chuckle. "Yeah, we all know how much you love Kylo, Matt. Hey," He commented, quickly switching topics before Matt could start afresh. "Some of us guys and a few of your technician friends are going to Maz's Castle tomorrow night for drinks and laughs. You guys wanna come?"

A polite but firm refusal was already formulated and on the tip of Rey's tongue, but before she could speak, she heard Matt eagerly accepting the invitation.

"Going for drinks! Does that mean we're officially "bros" now?"

"Uh...sure?"

"Then we'll both be there. I'm really looking forward to having some real talk with some real folks."

"Sweet. We're planning to meet there at 17:00 hours tomorrow. See you guys then!" Tim waved and headed off to join his legion.

"See you around, bro!" Matt called after him, looking beyond pleased at himself and the situation.

"Why did you accept for me?" Rey hissed angrily as Tim moved away. "What if I didn't want to go?"

Matt blinked in confusement. "But….isn't that what you people do? Work all week, complain about each other and the bosses, and then go out for drinks on the weekends? Isn't that what couples do?"

Rey choked. "We are _not_ a couple, Matt."

"Oh." He was silent, and Rey internally groaned at the apparent regression back into Hyper-Awkward Land. "Couple of friends then?" He offered as they slowly headed to the canteen.

Rey stopped and faced him, sending a warm smile to make up for her earlier harsh tones. "Yes. A couple of friends."

Matt beamed, his wide grin filling his face. It was a good look for him. "Great! Then I'll see you at Maz's tomorrow."

"Hey, but I-" Rey tried but broke off when she saw the excitement dancing in Matt's eyes. She softened. Her goals and plans could afford one night of interaction with her coworkers. Stars, she might even end up enjoying herself. "Alright." She agreed at last. "Tomorrow at Maz's."

"It's a date, then!"

"As friends, Matt, as friends."

"That's what I meant."

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you so much for the lovely reviews/follows/favorites, etc! Much love! xx_


	4. Four Rounds & A Lot of Olives

Rey huffed in frustration, blowing straggling strands of hair out of her face as she surveyed her dismally sparse selection of clothes.

She really didn't go out much (read: at all), so her wardrobe consisted largely of work clothes and comfortable, at-home pajamas, with a few business suits for interviews or special occasions. Certainly nothing for going out for drinks at a bar with coworkers.

 _But it's not like it's that upscale or anything._ She reasoned, digging through her collection of baggy grey sweatpants. _Though, don't you usually dress up when you're meeting someone? ….meeting friends?_

She flopped onto her narrow bed, annoyed at how much she cared about kriffing _outfits_ and irritated she didn't have a cute, err, _suitable_ one to wear. As petty as it may have sounded out loud, Rey wanted to look and feel great during the evening's festivities, but her options were sadly lacking.

Her pet droid, BB-8, beeped in sympathy and gently bumped against her leg, pulling a smile from Rey. She had found the little droid a year ago, lost in a crowded marketplace, and had adopted the sassy ball. The only thing she changed was repainting his repugnant Resistance-orange details to a much nicer Sith-red color.

Rey stared at her dingy ceiling, lost in thought. Vague memories of a quiet but steely voice drifted through her subconscious, hazy images of a pale, graceful figure robed in silks and lace, a marble statue always on display, always off-limits, distant and untouchable.

Rey sat up quickly, a hopeful idea forming as she headed to her storage room, BB-8 following close behind as she sidestepped haphazardly stacked boxes and bundles. Deep in the far corner was a large and gracefully wrought Naboo chromium chest, the delicate etchings denoting the high status of its previous owner.

Rey swallowed as she knelt before the trunk, running hesitant fingers across the dusty lid. Both of her parents had died when she was barely out of diapers, and what memories she did have were hazy and aided through the Force, scratchy holos that flickered in and out like the decrepit light in her kitchen.

Finally, with a deep steadying breath, she carefully, slowly, raised the lid, coughing slightly at the puffs of dust that followed. She dared a peek inside, shifting through the contents as her lips curved upwards.

 _Perfect._

BB-8 gave a long whistle appreciatively as she pulled the clothing from the trunk.

"Oh, quiet you." Rey grinned, playfully whacking the droid's round body. "You know it's just a casual get-together."

BB-8 rapidly beeped something in binary that roughly translated to knowing-sarcastic-droid-laughter.

* * *

Kylo slammed yet another dresser drawer shut, ready to scream in vexation. Just what did one wear to a commoners' bar when you were going undercover as a dorky radar technician, but the high-class girl you were obsessed interested in was also going to be there? Was there an appropriate style for that? Should he wear the Vadar-black tunic or the ebony Malachor jacket? Too casual? Or maybe the Dark Side suit set with the Mustafar-red accents? Too fancy? Was a cowl too close to his normal signature-Kylo-look? Just how did people dress when they went for drinks?

"This is impossible." He groaned, sinking onto his bed as he stared moodily at his monochromatic closet choices.

BB-9E, Kylo's personal pain in the neck, whirred and beeped at him disapprovingly, spinning around the room to examine the apparel options.

"Expand my color palette? Do you see pictures of Darth Vader wearing "happy colors?" The bright orange and grey standard uniform of the radar technicians had been hard enough to swallow for him.

BB-9E tooted back sharply. _/Vader didn't get to keep his girl either/_

"Hey, watch it Niney, or I'll disconnect your circuits." Kylo threatened, rising to flip through the clothes for the fifth time and delivering a warning kick to the droid. "What would Matt wear, going to a bar to hang out with coworkers?"

 _/The real question is: what would Rey_ like _Matt to wear to said bar?/_

"Shut up."

The tenacious round ball kept beeping at him anyways, rolling to the edge of his bed to bump against dusty boxes shoved underneath the furniture. Niney extended her claw and pulled on a box labeled with black marker "Let the past die" in elegant calligraphy script. In smaller letters beneath was written "Ben Clothes."

Kylo followed the droid's path, evidently catching the intended meaning as his eyes widened and he vehemently shook his head with a scowl. "No, nope, not doing that. _No."_

More indignant beeps and whrrs.

Kylo chucked a wrench from Matt's nearby toolbelt at the cheeky droid. "How do you know what Rey will or won't like? And what makes you think you know anything about human fashion?"

Niney made an offensive noise.

"Insult me again and I'll fry your processing unit."

The droid didn't budge, and Kylo threw up his hands in exasperation. "Augh, _fine._ This one time."

If an astromech droid could sound gleeful, BB-9E was definitely rolling in it.

* * *

Rey released a tight breath as she parked her old TIE fighter in the expansive hangar at Maz's Castle. She could have upgraded her retro ship, but she enjoyed the comforting feeling that the cracked leather jump seats, worn joysticks and stiff switches gave her. The Imperial TIE had been the first fighter she'd ever flown, and even now with Endorian butterflies rising in the pit of stomach, the nostalgia helped steady her as she made her way through the maze of ships and exited the hangar. Starkiller provided shuttles for their employees to various "relaxation" planets, but Rey preferred having control of her own transport. She loved the feel of a ship humming under her command, the freedom and power flying brought.

Maz's castle was an impressive affair, the ancient towering stone castle at odds with the modern, colorful lights that doused the watering hole in gaudy shades. Rey made her way up the stone steps, bracing herself and her bare shoulders against the chilly wind that blew through Takodana's mountains. She had brought a light jacket with her, and she clutched it to her chest nerves preventing her from slipping it on.

A man was leaning against one of the huge pillars at the top of the stairs, staring out contemplatively at the sizable lake that sat at the foot of the castle. If it wasn't for the bleached blonde hair that shone like fluorescent lighting even in the darkened night, Rey wouldn't have even recognized her coworker.

"Matt?" She questioned as she crested the stairs, still doubting her assumptions as to his identity. He was dressed in casual pants with a black vest over a light grey collared shirt, the sleeves rolled up as if he'd grown impatient with their fastenings. He looked….good. Too good for comfort.

Matt turned, his thick glasses helping to dispel the initial hypnotic daze he'd cast. "Rey?" His voice held a note of wonderment and undisguised admiration that made Rey blush hotly even in the cool temperatures.

Kylo was stricken dumb. He had ridden in the company transport with Tim and several others, and had announced he would stay outside for awhile, ostensibly to get some fresh air, but really to watch for Rey's arrival. And what an arrival it had been. He'd taken some pleasure in imagining what his soon-to-be vice president would look like in his grandmother's royal outfits, but Rey's appearance still stole his breath away. He vaguely wondered if that was how Force-choking felt.

She was dressed in a black, shoulderless tunic with long billowy sleeves and black slacks. A touch of gold here and there caught and gleamed in the bright lights of the castle, just like the gold flecks in her eyes.

Kylo felt like he'd swallowed a clump of ewok fur. "You look….acceptable." He managed, wincing internally at the poorly chosen words, but smooth-speaking, speech-spewing Kylo Ren, CEO, apparently took extended vacations whenever he conversed with Rey. Kriffing nerves.

Thankfully, she seemed mainly amused instead of offended, though a trace of disappointment lingered in her eyes. "Thank you, Matt. You're not half-bad yourself."

She gestured at the open doors from which spilled the sounds of drunken laughter and lively music. "Shall we?"

Matt stared at her. "Shall we what?"

"Go inside?"

"Oh, right! That would be good, yes, let's do that." He nodded and hurriedly rushed inside as Rey followed more sedately. Matt stopped short upon entering and Rey bumped into his broad back. She was about to protest at her aching nose, when she stepped into the bar herself.

A cacophony of sound and color washed over her as she walked through the old wooden doors. People and creatures from all races and planets were packed in the spacious lower levels of the castle. A band wailed on their instruments in one corner, while a ragtag group of individuals-were they pirates?-cheered on some bomas wrestling on the floor. Others were gambling in the corner, and Rey spotted Tim, Zack, Myra and a group of Starkiller employees gathered at the bar.

"C'mon, let's go meet up with Tim and the guys." Rey pivoted to see that Matt had frozen on the threshold, wide eyes drinking it all in. "Hey, are you okay?" Rey shifted closer, voice dropping in concern. "You don't have to feel pressured to drink a lot, I don't drink much either."

Matt looked down at her, something stirring in his gaze. "It's just...I can't remember the last time I went for drinks with- with….friends." The last word slipped from his lips like a quiet plea, uncertain and questioning but hopeful, begging her to understand. He broke eye contact with Rey and let out a short snort of laughter. "Kriff, I can't remember the last time I had friends."

Rey was temporarily shocked into silence at the sudden revelation. She hesitated, cautiously touching his arm. "Matt, I'm not very good at doing the whole friendship thing," She admitted, glancing down at her shoes.

 _But I thought we were doing the confused-relationship-thing._ Kylo thought disappointedly. His shoulders sagged a little.

"Yeah, I-I understand."

"But, you already know more about me in the few days we've known each other than most of our coworkers have found out in nine months." Rey continued, offering a warm smile. "So, let's just go have a drink and have a good time...friend?"

"Friends." Matt agreed, his face lighting up. _Best friends._ He added mentally as they wove their way through the crowds.

"Hey! Our favorite couple has arrived!" Tim hollered as he saw them approach. He raised his glass to the pair before knocking the drink back, sputtering as he did so.

Rey smothered a grin and an eye roll, raising a hand in brief greeting to the group. No use arguing about the couple labeling when Tim had already had several drinks. Several of the people were already too inebriated to respond as Rey and Matt moved to the bar.

"Whadda ya want, love?" The bartender asked, tossing a towel over his shoulder as he placed his hands on the countertop and waited expectantly.

Rey perused the flashing menu holo that floated above the bartender when a drink name caught her eye. "I'll take the Emperor's Greased Lightning." She decided. Normally she didn't consume hard alcohol, but what kind of granddaughter would she be if she couldn't even throw back a drink named after her own flesh and blood?

The bartender nodded and turned to Matt. "And you?"

"I'm really more of a wine person. Do you have an Chandrilan Merlot?"

The bartender scoffed in derision. "Whadda ya think this is, some sorta senator's personal dining room?"

Matt sat up straighter indignantly. "I happened to be raised in one, actually."

"Sure, and I'm royalty. You need to lighten up, Your Highness." The man snorted and called to his fellow barkeep as he moved down the counter. "Hey, Jimmy! One Greased Lightning and an extra-large Corellian ale for the little lady and the pasty stiff."

"Pasty?" Matt glowered at the bartender's retreating back. "I prefer to say I'm say I'm on a ultraviolet diet."

"Just ignore him," Rey chuckled, fingers tapping the counter in anticipation.

The Greased Lightning possessed every bit of the kick it had promised, and Rey's eyes were watering by the time she'd finished. Matt had made progress on his mug of ale, though he insisted he despised the stuff as he continued to chug more.

Rey was about to call for a second round when a figure blocked the light above her, brushing her shoulder with his proximity. It was a vaguely familiar man, and Rey recognized him as a trooper in Tim's legion. A very handsome trooper.

"Hello there." The stormtrooper flashed a brilliant smile at her, settling down on the stool next to hers and waving the bartender over. "Three martinis, extra olives." He ordered rapidly, before directing his attention back to Rey..

"I'm Brandon, and you are…. _beautiful."_ He grabbed the martinis that appeared on the bar and handed one to Rey with a flourish.

"Thank you." Rey's cheeks felt warm, but it might have been the alcohol. "I'm Rey."

"I can make painfully obvious observations too," Matt interrupted from the other side of Rey. He surveyed the bar and pointed to where the normally-reserved Zack was doing exotic dance moves on a table. "Zack is drunk."

Brandon ignored Matt's intrusion. "And what officer position do you serve in, Rey?" He pronounced her name like it was a song lyric, pausing to sip on his martini.

"Oh, I'm-I'm not an officer, I'm just a radar technician." Rey stuttered a little, hiding her red face in her drink.

Brandon cocked a dark eyebrow. "What are they thinking, keeping someone like you hidden away in mechanical closets and tangled up in wires? You should be running this whole operation."

"That's what I tried to tell her." Matt muttered grouchily, fishing out his olive. "Except I said it first."

"Did you say something, Matt?" Rey hummed distractedly, turning away from the stormtrooper for a brief minute.

"Nothing."

Rey focused back on Brandon, who launched into a extended talk on the merits of troopers exercising with their armor on. It was interesting at first, but Rey soon grew bored when she couldn't get a word in edgewise, except when the man paused to drink.

"That's very fascinating, Brandon." She replied politely after fidgeting with the stem of her glass for ten minutes. "What do you think, Matt?" Twisting on her stool, she saw an deserted seat with several empty glasses, half-gnawed toothpicks and no Matt.

"Yeah, he left a while ago." Brandon said disinterestedly, rapping the countertop to order another round.

"Really?" Rey bit her lip, unexplained worry crawling in her throat. "Maybe I should go check on him, I don't think he drinks much and he might not…"

"He's fine, honey, don't worry about Binocular-Face!" Brandon looked peeved, his flushed face seeming darker in the dimmed lights. "Now, as I was saying-"

"Brandon!" A high-pitched voice trilled as sinuous green arms wrapped around the stormtrooper's neck. A Twi'lek female appeared, staring at Brandon like he was a Corusant dessert dish. "It's been _so_ long, why don't we go and have a chat, hmm?"

Brandon never looked back. "I'm all yours, Nylah."

Rey sipped her martini slowly and watched over the rim of her glass as the pair disappeared into a darkened corner. Well then. Good riddance.

She surveyed the room, sliding off her stool and heading towards Tim's group. Myra was weaving and bobbing her head to the raucous music, and Rey had to shout to make her voice heard.

"Myra! Have you seen Matt?"

"Rreeeehhyyyy!" Myra slurred, toasting her with a half-empty Corellian ale. "Waz up?"

"Have you seen Matt?!" Rey repeated, pushing through the crowd and offering a steadying hand to her coworker.

"Mmbatt? Nuh uh." Myra drawled, swaying off-beat to the music. "Ssorry."

Rey patted her back. "You might want to sit down soon." She cautioned, before escaping the packed horde. An open door heralded freedom, and she made a beeline for it, desperate for some clean air, untainted with the stench of bodies and rum.

The door opened on a quiet balcony, and it was with a surge of relief that Rey saw Matt had already discovered the peaceful hideaway. He was leaning on the balustrade, looking over the lake that twinkled in the moonlight.

Rey moved softly to his side, inhaling deeply and appreciating the quiet beauty of Takodana.

It was a few minutes before he acknowledged her presence.

"I take it you're just as claustrophobic as I am." Matt commented, still staring straight ahead.

Rey smiled and shook her head slightly. "Only around crowds of people I don't know who have as much interest in knowing me as I have in knowing them: none." She loved crawling around in the bellies of ships, fixing parts, or being elbow-deep in wires, but the press of people was one she'd rather avoid. It made her feel closed off, and it was harder to defend oneself.

"Where's that Landon guy?" Matt asked presently, attempting (and failing) to sound nonchalant.

"Brandon? Oh, I don't know, he left to go chase after some Twi'lek girl he used to know."

Matt made a noncommittal noise in his throat, and looked unabashedly pleased.

"So...you don't like big crowds then?" Rey said after a pause, twining her hands together.

 _Not unless they're all a proper distance away from me and under my control._ Kylo longed to say. "Not really." He paused. "I was an only child, I got used to a quiet house."

"Well, that's one more thing we have in common then, I guess."

"Yes, you're too unique to have siblings." Matt agreed solemnly.

Rey chuckled softly. "Is that what you tell yourself?" Matt had a way of making the harsh realities of her past seem bearable, and even humorous at times.

"No, my dad said he didn't want any more kids with superiority complexes and deep emotional instabilities." Matt deadpanned, twisting slightly to face her. Part of him was sending warning signals that he was in danger of entering oversharing mode, but something about Rey dissolved his intensive emotional barriers, even while disguised as Matt the Radar Technician. Curse her and her deep capacity for understanding his multiple emotional complexes!

Rey's smile slipped and she turned her face aside, rubbing the rough stone balustrade distractedly. "I'd give anything just to hear my father's voice again….I've almost forgotten what he sounded like." She let out a sharp spike of cynical laughter. "But I doubt if he or my grandfather would be proud if they knew I've suppressed innate Force abilities." The alcohol must have loosened her tongue more than she'd realized, and she gasped at the causal manner she'd just spilled information never shared with anyone.

"You're Force-sensitive? Do you know how rare that's become?" Matt's voice was eager with interest and excitement.

Rey sighed, shifting her feet. "Yes, on both counts. My grandfather wanted me to develop my abilities and train, but after an...accident happened, I had no desire to learn. The Force didn't help my grandfather stay alive, why would I follow some ancient religion that's brought me nothing but pain?" Tears prickled at the back of her eyes, but she pushed relentlessly on. "I've tried to mainly ignore it, but it still comes out at times, especially when I get angry or emotional."

"What makes you think you think pain is bad? That's how you draw strength from the Force, through your emotions and suffering." Matt sounded surprisingly well-versed in Force-knowledge.

"So are you a Force-expert now or something?" Rey leaned in and bumped his elbow jokingly.

"I guess you could say it runs in the family."

Rey shrugged, picking at her nails to avoid making eye contact. "I actually thought about starting to develop my Force skills recently, but then something, or rather some one, made me change my mind."

 _Kriff, she must mean me._ Kylo panicked internally. "It wasn't me, was it?"

"Ha, no, it was one of our bosses."

 _It was totally me._

"Rey," He started, swiveling to fully face her and gripping her wrists, his eyes burning in their earnest intensity. "You may not see it as such, but you've been given a gift, and you shouldn't let your past-or bosses-determine if you tap into the Force. Stop stifling your feelings and let them power your own gift. Please, it's important."

Rey was silent, eyes searching his own wordlessly. Kylo held his breath and prayed she found whatever reassurance she was seeking.

A moment passed, and at last Rey shook her head, looking away almost ashamedly.

"I'm sorry, Matt, I appreciate the support, but I...can't. I-I don't even know where I'd start."

Kylo opened his mouth to reply when the doors to the balcony burst open and several people drunkenly stumbled out, rowdily laughing and carousing. Rey inhaled deeply, and Kylo dropped her wrists, the brief moment broken as he watched her distractedly check the time.

 _Is-is she blushing?_

"Stars, I should probably head back. Early start tomorrow and all." She half-laughed awkwardly.

 _Ladykiller Kylo cannot be contained even as Matt._ "I'll walk you to the hangar, let me just grab your jacket."

They walked back inside and Matt disappeared into the press of bodies to retrieve Rey's light coat, telling her to meet him by the main door.

Rey navigated the groups of people, constantly throwing out apologies as she maneuvered and squeezed past the crowds, when a heavy hand wrapped around her bicep.

It was Brandon.

His breath reeked of alcohol, and he leered at her in a decidedly uncomfortable manner. "Rey, Rey, Rey the little radar technician. How 'bout you show me howta rewire ss-some circuitss?" He yanked her roughly to him, and Rey reacted instinctively by delivering a swift kick to his groin as he dropped her arm and doubled up in pain. The wasted trooper would have received a follow-up corresponding punch, were it not for the iron vise that gripped his upper arm.

It was Matt, eyes blazing and full lips pulled back in a snarl. _"Leave her alone."_

"Matt!" Rey exclaimed gratefully, relief sprouting in her chest at the sight of him. "Great timing!"

The radar technician remained steely-eyed, looking like he could burn the unlucky Brandon with the heat of his stare, who squirmed and twisted in Matt's grasp.

"Um, Matt? It's fine, just let him go, I'm leaving anyways." Rey tugged on his sleeve, breaking him from his staring contest with Brandon as she dragged Matt to the main doors and outside.

Matt was breathing heavily, looking disoriented in the relatively quiet outdoors as the hangar lights blinked passively at the foot of the stairs. "Are you alright?" He demanded anxiously. "I knew he was scum from the moment I saw him, I should've…."

"Matt, Matt, it's all good, I'm fine." Rey insisted, massaging her sore arm. She covered a wince as her fingers brushed a particularly tender spot. That would bruise in the morning. Matt didn't miss the expression or her subtle motions, and his eyes narrowed.

"Anyways, sorry for the dramatic ending, but thank you for the evening." Rey continued, smiling up into Matt's softening face. "I don't remember the last time I've had someone I could really talk to."

"Me neither." Kylo smiled back, though panic rose quickly as Rey gazed up at him, waiting expectantly. Did she want some sappy romantic goodbye spiel? Was this the goodnight kiss part? He could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing to lightspeed at the thought. How did one goodnight kiss? Did he just dive in or move slowly? Should he go the chaste route and kiss her hand? Grab her face and start making out? Kriff, what would Vadar do? Should he start talking about sand? What if-

"Matt!"

Kylo blinked, drawn back to reality.

"Can I have my jacket please?" Rey held out her palm patiently.

Kylo stared at it blankly for a minute, equal parts relieved and disappointed. "Oh. Right. Your jacket." He deposited the requested article into her hands. "Goodnight then, Rey. I'll see you tomorrow."

"'Till tomorrow, Matt." She reached across the space that separated them and placed a tentative hand on his forearm. "And thank you again." She pulled back her hand hastily, as if it'd betrayed her, and jogged down the weathered stairs at an unnecessarily rapid pace.

Kylo watched as she entered the hangar and moved from sight before wheeling around back into the castle, intent on a mission.

Someone had to pay their dues.

* * *

"Aw man, I was just wantin' a little fun, ya know?" Brandon protested, backing into a corner as Kylo steadily advanced in a secluded hallway off the main longue. "Don't tell me you didn't want some action with her yourself." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Silence!" Kylo bellowed savagely, his hand snapping up and clenching in the air. Brandon gagged as invisible fingers tightened around his neck, crushing his windpipes as he was lifted off the dusty ground.

 _"I see your mind."_ Kylo growled menacingly, enjoying the delightful way Brandon's face was turning a lovely shade of purple. "And. It. Is. _STUPID!"_ With a powerful surge of energy from the Force, the stormtrooper was sent flying into a nearby, conveniently-placed vending machine with a satisfying crunch .

A weak groan floated up from the ruins of the soda machine. Kylo marched over, bending down to gloat in his would-be rival's face, whipping off his oversized glasses as he did so. "Don't ever touch her with your slimy little mitts again. She's mine ."

Brandon wheezed hoarsely in answer, hands rubbing his bruised and aching throat. "You're….you're K-Kylo Ren." He croaked in horror, vainly attempting to slide away from the looming figure above him.

Kylo's lips twisted grimly in a sardonic smile. "The stormtrooper does have some brain cells, amazing. I should document this rare occurrence." He sneered, crouching lower to pin the man with a fierce hard look. "And if you breathe a word of this to anyone I'll rip out your vocal cords myself." He tapped Brandon's chest for emphasis at each word. "One. By. One."

"Bu-"

 _"Very slowly."_

"Y-Yessir!"

* * *

 _A/N: Remember kids, WWVD? What Would Vader Do?_

 _The inspiration for Rey's outfit came from a pic of Daisy Ridley, which you can find on my Tumblr, earial13_

 _Thank you for the lovely support and comments! Next Sunday will be featuring a shirtless!Kylo (in the flesh) and a flustered Rey. :}_


	5. Workin' 9 to 5

The next morning, Kylo was in the training room, furiously attacking his sparring droids, and attempting to ease the pounding headache that throbbed and tore at his temples. Not a hangover, no, (okay, maybe it was a _little_ hangover) it was rage _._ Rage at Brandon for hurting Rey, frustration at Rey for running from her heritage and the abilities she possessed, but most of all anger at himself for his failure to convince Rey to train in the Force.

Rey _needed_ him and his experience in the ways of the Dark Side. And if he didn't help her, she would spend the rest of her days hiding her Force abilities and unable to reach even a fraction of her true potential. The thought exasperated him to no end. They could be greater than either of their grandparents, if she would just let him teach her.

He'd tumbled out of bed that morning still in Matt disguise, wig askew, glasses precariously hanging on, and a migraine that felt like an ewok drumming on his forehead. Multiple comms had awaited him, forwarded by Hux, many of which contained polite inquiries from subordinates as to why a certain young radar technician had not been promoted at the recent rally. One was from-Ryan?-Bryon, recommending Rey for an assistant supervisor position that had opened last week. Hux had marked the comm in red, adding the snarky comment: " _This is why I'm normally in charge of terminations and promotions. Promote her."_

Kylo had turned to BB-9E with exaggerated slowness. "Add "Reteach Hux his _normal_ position" to my calendar." Then he'd stormed off to the training room, stewing over entitled generals with grossly inflated egos and ridiculous hair color.

A sudden blaster bolt from a combat remote snapped him back to reality as he barely deflected the shot. The spike of adrenaline birthed an idea in his mind as he side-stepped another remote, letting the Force guide his fluid movements. Rey possessed the legendary Palpatine stubbornness, and threats would only alienate her further. What if he offered to train her in the Force, in exchange for her accepting the small promotion Bryon had recommended her for? She wouldn't be able to use the excuse of forging her own way, she'd earned the promotion and much more.

He unarmed another training droid and sliced through the last combat remote with a sizzle and crackle of sparks, sheathing his lightsaber before calling in the Knights of Ren in for a vigorous workout match. He'd stripped down to a simple pair of high-waisted training pants and boots, and now he was ruthless, parrying uppercuts and thrusting his cross bladed saber with a strength that did not diminish even after two hours. The sting of sweat in his eyes and the burn of muscles soothed his confused mind; this was simple, this was normal, he could comprehend this. His feelings towards Rey, however, he could not.

With a particularly vicious kick, he knocked one of the knights over, who rolled and charged at him. Kylo met his attack, letting his shoulder absorb the brunt of the shock and using his greater height to bear down on the shorter man. A quick backstep, a low duck under the blade, a swift undercut to the legs, and the knight was down.

Kylo turned to BB-9E who was patrolling the edges of the room, carefully staying well away from the clashing weapons and tangle of bodies.

"Niney, inform Rey she is to meet me in my office in exactly thirty minutes." Kylo ordered, stalking out of the room without a backwards glance.

* * *

Rey was walking briskly down the halls of Starkiller, a little peeved at the officer who'd called her halfway across the base for some minor issue and then dismissed her as soon as she'd arrived, claiming he'd "found another partially competent computer nerd." His office had been in a part of the base Rey didn't often travel, and her route back to the central radar quadrant took her through areas of Starkiller she'd never seen before. Most were clearly designated for officers and other higher ups, and Rey paused as a large glass panel came into view.

Outside, the entire planet was blanketed with a layer of clean white snow, the horizon broken by the dark spikes of pine trees and distant mountains. There were few outside windows on Starkiller (supposedly they were too distracting), and Rey relished every time she passed one on her routes.

Her stolen moment of tranquility was shattered by the buzzing of her comm link. _That better not be Mr. High-and-Mighty Kylo Ren._ A slight frown creased her brows. Who else would it be?

Rey sucked in a sigh, quashing the nervousness that rose as she read Kylo's comm. He was requesting (demanding) another office meeting.

Hopefully this one was less destructive than before.

She highly doubted it.

* * *

"Niney, grab a clean suit of clothes for me." Kylo instructed, wiping his sweaty face with a towel and throwing the cloth at the round droid. "Rey's supposed to meet me in thirty minutes."

BB-9E was silent for a brief moment, wiggling out from underneath the sweat towel before beeping back pertly.

"She'll be here _when?_ I told you to tell her thirty minutes, not three!"

/ _You certainly weren't making any moves, so I had to expedite Operation Rey Relationship_ / Niney whrred testily in explanation. / _You don't appreciate all I do for you_ /

That didn't sound good. Kylo panicked, rushing over to his closet….which was empty. Bare. Nothing. Not even dust. The only clothes in the room beside the pants he was wearing was his secretly stashed radar technician uniform.

" _What did you do?"_

The droid chuckled- _chuckled-_ sounding unbearably smug.

"What do you mean, you took all my clothes to the cleaners?!" Kylo pinched the bridge of his nose, fingers itching to destroy something but tempered by the knowledge Rey would soon arrive.

/ _You're already wearing clothes, why do you need more? I may be made of circuits, but Rey is not, last I checked_ /

"Niney, I'm supposed to sway her to my side, induce her to join me, not look like a twelve-year-old child trying on his father's pants." Kylo snapped, gesturing to his turtleneck training pants.

/ _You'll thank me later_ /

"You'll thank _me_ when I spare your rusted parts from the smelter."

A shrill squeal of protest.

"Likes me for my personality too?! Niney, she doesn't even know that Matt is actually me. Besides, there's no way someone like Rey would fall for someone like Matt."

Niney beeped and burbled, freezing Kylo mid-tirade. / _You're afraid she'll reject you again because you actually act like yourself as Matt_ /

"You're much too perceptive for a BB unit." He glanced at the mirror. "The abs will have to be enough."

A long whistle.

"You're right, that is what the eight-pack is for."

There was no time anymore, and he hastily put on his mask. Few Starkiller employees knew his face by sight, but he respected Rey's intelligence and intuition too much to assume the lack of wig and glasses would be enough to hide his true identity. While Rey might not have recognized him, their extended time together over the last few days also meant she'd spent quite a bit more time staring at his face than originally intended. Not that he minded.

A buzz on the link alerted them to Rey's arrival. Kylo spun around, slamming the door button, before hurriedly positioning himself against his desk in an unaffected pose, making sure to highlight his rippling muscles.

The door slid open with a _whzz_ and Rey stiffly strode in. "You asked for m-"

Kylo wished he had a holo recording of Rey's expression. She looked like she'd been smacked sideways by a wet ewok. He remained silent for a moment, not missing the way her eyes roamed his body as her cheeks reddened.

"Yes. Yes, I did ask for you." He inhaled deeply, gesturing to a chair in front of him. "Please, sit."

Rey crossed the room and seated herself, eyes slightly narrowed as if she distrusted the entire situation. Kylo positioned himself directly before her, the new height difference between them meaning Rey was eyeball-to-ab. An ideal view.

Rey would never have guessed this was how her morning would go. She cursed her eyeballs, which kept being drawn back to Kylo's dancing muscles, highly aware of the way they tightened with each slow breath. She knew Kylo knew she was looking, and the knowledge turned her face deep scarlet. _The arrogant, show-off prick, trying to get me as his vice president by showcasing his body._ This was playing dirty on a whole new level.

"Di-did you need something?" Rey's voice was a little hoarse and she cleared it violently.

Kylo picked up a data pad, turning it so Rey could see the recommendation from Bryon. "It seems your supervisor feels you are deserving of a minor promotion."

Rey blinked, desperately trying to corral her wandering mind and focus on the man's mechanically distorted words. "Uh, okay?"

Kylo smirked behind his helmet. "I quite agree with his assessment, and am willing to give you this promotion."

This caught Rey's attention, and she pulled her eyes from the ridges and contours of the chest before her and craned her neck to peer up at the aloof mask. "What?"

"That is, if-"

"Figured there was a catch somewhere." Rey grumbled under her breath, leaning back in her chair.

" _-If_ you allow me to teach you the ways of the Force and the Dark Side, as befitting someone of your station." Kylo finished, closely watching the range of emotions washing over Rey's features. "You need a teacher, and I need a worthy student." He held out his hand expectantly.

To say Rey was surprised was an understatement. She'd expected some form of ultimatum, but for it to come in the form of learning about the Force via Kylo Ren was one she'd never imagined. Matt's impassioned statement from last night about using her gift floated to the forefront of her mind. For years, she'd suppressed the innate abilities that slept within her, fearing to lose herself in the immense power within her grasp.

She eyed Kylo's outstretched hand. Despite her evolving feelings towards the Force, she still wasn't sure she wanted to fully embrace it. But, this was a chance to move up the hierarchy of the First Order, shouldn't she leap at the opportunity, especially given her previous _conversations_ with the CEO of Starkiller? What would Papa Palps tell her to do? Rey squared her shoulders as the decision came to her.

Kylo was certain he was going to pass out soon from holding his breath when he felt the firm grasp of Rey's hand in his grip. "You have a deal." She told him evenly, rising to be (somewhat) on eye level with him.

It was with great difficulty that Kylo swallowed the excited scream of joy that attacked his vocal cords.

* * *

"Matt!"

Kylo whipped his head around at the siren call of his future VP, blessing the universe for his ability to rapidly change clothes, waving at her to signal his whereabouts. He'd slid into the canteen not two minutes before, hastily dumping food on his tray in a mad rush to appear unhurried and leisurely.

"Rey!" He grinned, finding pleasure in the fact her face was still losing its crimson flush from earlier.

"Matt," Rey dropped her voice and cautiously glanced around the vicinity. Kylo had chosen a small, secluded table in a darkened corner of the canteen, guessing correctly that Rey would rush to tell Matt the news. "I just got promoted to assistant supervisor!"

"Rey, that is incredible. _Incredible_." Kylo proclaimed. "I told you that you were destined to rule."

A fleeting expression crossed Rey's face before dissolving. "Yeah, you're not the only one to say that." She chuckled, stealing a crisp off of Matt's tray. "But that's not all, in exchange for the promotion, Kylo Ren is going to teach me the ways of the Force."

Kylo faked choking on his drink, spritzing the water out like a geyser and mentally applauding himself for his superior acting expertise. " _What?! Kylo Ren?!"_

Rey smirked at the way Matt's voice rose an octave on the last word. He was such a devoted fan.

"Yes, I thought you would be happy I'm 'fulfilling my destiny'." Rey made air quotes with her fingers.

"'Happy' cannot accurately convey the depth of excitement I feel." Matt informed her gravely while chewing on his lunch. "Imagine being mentored by someone with the expertise and knowledge of Kylo Ren! He must really be into you." He added for his own personal benefit.

"Hmph," Rey replied non committedly, frowning at the table as if deep in thought. "Hey, can you...keep a secre-?"

"Yes." Matt sat up ramrod-straight, unblinkingly. "Tell me everything."

Rey couldn't keep the soft smile off her lips. Matt had such awkward, yet endearing ways. She'd only known him for less than a week, yet she marveled inwardly at the depth of the connection they shared.

"Kylo Ren asked me to be his vice president." She said quietly. "And I turned him down."

She saw Matt's eyes widened, and his mouth start to open in what was undoubtedly going to be a disbelieving shriek. Before he could attract the attention of half the base, Rey lurched forward to cover his mouth with both her hands.

"Please don't freak out." She whispered urgently, pleading with him to remain calm.

Matt's eyes still resembled porg eyes on steroids more so than human ones, but it wasn't because of Rey's sudden revelation. He glanced down, transfixed, and Rey became acutely aware of her hands on Matt's cool mouth, yanking them back as if they'd been burned by Mustafar lava. She coughed, feeling very warm unexpectedly. "Um, yeah, so I turned him down."

" _Why?"_ Matt hissed, evidently trying his best to remain discreet. As it was, several employees looked around the canteen at his loud whisper.

Rey toyed with the wrench at her side, waiting to drop the second bombshell. "Because I'm the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine."

Matt looked shocked, but what struck Rey even more was his response. "I knew it. You were too special not to be descended from greatness." It was a vast difference from Kylo Ren's initial "your-grandfather-was-special-so-you-must-be-special" to Matt's "you-are-special-so-your-grandfather-must-also-be-special." It was a welcome change that Rey wholeheartedly appreciated.

"I want to make my grandfather proud," Rey continued. "I want to succeed, but I don't want all the power handed to me on a silver platter simply because of who my ancestors were. I want to earn my place, as both my grandfather and Darth Vader did."

Matt was silent, encouraging her to go on.

"And for the longest time, I was afraid of training in the Force, of claiming my heritage, because I feared I would love the power too much, and take the easy, comfortable route to ruling the galaxy. That's the ultimate goal, ruling the galaxy and rebuilding the Empire my grandfather created."

Kylo couldn't speak at first. He'd heard Rey's "excuses" for rejecting his offer previously, but this somehow put the affair in a new light. He was totally enraptured with the woman before him. "I think I lov-like, like your ideals a lot." He stammered, kicking himself for letting his tongue talk before his brain had thought.

Rey beamed up at him, as if he'd just slain the last Jedi and resurrected the Sith order. "Matt, it means so much to be able to share all this with you. Really." Her hand twitched like she meant to touch his own, but she picked up her wrench again and Kylo's ten seconds of terror subsided. "How are you so good at understanding me? I feel like we've been through so many similar things."

She was asking for honesty, transparency, for his life story served with angst and sympathy. Kylo couldn't help but reflect somewhat cynically at how honest he'd been with her, all while still lying blatantly to her face.

He hesitated, encouraged by the warmth in her soft brown eyes, yet he'd been hurt too often in the past because he had trusted the wrong person with his self-denied emotions. "Do...do you ever feel lost or out of place?" He began slowly, picking at the frayed edges of his tool belt. "Like you don't belong, like no one understands you or wants to even try?" He ducked his head, the words tumbled faster now, his emotions tripping and falling over themselves in their haste to seek empathy. "Like the galaxy doesn't care if you live or die? Like-" He broke off, nostrils flaring, frightened at the carefully bottled, decades-old secrets he'd poured out in a moment's notice to this girl.

"-Like you could stand in the hallway and scream and no one would notice?" She filled in gently. Kylo jerked his head up, reading a kindred understanding in her gaze. She knew exactly what it felt like. She had been left alone, forced to fend for herself in a harsh and uncaring galaxy after the destruction of the second Death Star.

"Yes," He paused, clinging to the expression in her eyes like a lifeline. "Like that."

* * *

"You can't bring a random assistant supervisor of _radar technicians_ to a board meeting with the CEO and executives of our biggest rival." Hux protested angrily, increasing his pace to keep up with Kylo's rapid walk. After his intimate conversation with Rey in the canteen earlier, Kylo had promptly informed Hux that not only was the girl promoted to assistant supervisor, she was to sit in on the board meeting with the Resistance Inc. executives later that day. As with any idea that Kylo had ever proposed, Hux naturally disagreed with the whole matter. And as with any complaints mounted by Hux, Kylo simply ignored the ginger general.

"Why not? This way we can get feedback from the average worker, dispute the Resistance lies and show them how satisfied our employees really are."

"If you're referring to the traitor, FN-2187, he will be in attendance today and doubtless full of his "employee rights" stories." Hux remarked dryly, slightly out of breath. A few months prior, an unruly stormtrooper on probation had suddenly resigned and been rehired by the Resistance Inc. The traitor had spread multiple rumors defaming the First Order's supposed treatment of its employees, sending the leaders of the Resistance into a social justice frenzy. The fact that Starkiller lacked an official vice president had only escalated the matter.

"Let them spread their lies, they'll soon know the full power of the First Order." Kylo declared confidently, heading to his quarters to don his most dramatic, Vader-esque cape.

Later that day, Rey was called into the meeting room, and seated next to Kylo. She felt oddly conspicuous being the only manual worker in the room, even in light of her new promotion. All the other First Order attendees were high-level officers and executives, who gave her sideways glances and whispered behind their white, uncalloused hands. Stars, what was she doing in a board meeting with all of the top brass and General Hux and Kylo Ren? She stole a peek at the latter individual and retracted her rhetorical question. This was clearly all part of Kylo's master plan to convince her to join him as his (albeit sorely needed) vice president..

There was no more time for internal monologues, however, as the Resistance delegation had arrived. A handful of people entered, dressed in simple, earthy and gritty colors. The Resistance CEO entered first. She was an older women, her chesnut hair streaked with grey, but she carried herself like a princess. And according to the rumors, she was every bit the royalty she appeared to be. A rather good-looking, dark-haired man followed, the badges on his chest marking him as the Resistance vice president. On the other side of the handsome VP was a man in a worn leather jacket, large brown eyes nervously flitting from Hux to Kylo to the stormtroopers guarding the doors. That must be FN-2187, Rey surmised, noting the way he acted like an escaped animal going back into the slaughterhouse.

Everyone was formally seated, and the Resistance CEO (General Leia Organa, Rey learned) was the first to speak, her eyes brightening and twinkling in excitement upon the sight of Rey.

"Why Be-Kylo Ren, have you actually found a woman who meets your extensive standards?"

 _What a strange way to start a board meeting._

" _General,_ this is Rey, the supervisor of our radar technicians." Kylo's voice brooked no further comment, and Rey wondered if he had intentionally used the incorrect title position. She was technically only an assistant supervisor.

General Organa smiled and nodded kindly to Rey. "A pleasure, my dear."

Hux cleared his throat noisily. "If we may progress to the items actually on the agenda instead of banal trivialities…"

"Hey, show some respect, General Hugs." The Resistance vice president shot back. He was now close enough that Rey could see the 'Cmdr. Dameron' stitched into his jacket. "At least _we_ don't kill our employees when they miss their quotas."

"Precisely why your employees don't _make_ their quotas." Hux responded coolly, and Rey smothered the improper grin that tugged at her mouth.

"Poe, calm down, you can't expect murderers to understand." The former stormtrooper FN-2187 soothed the ruffled officer, shooting a glare at the Starkiller executives as he did so.

"Boys." General Organa's voice was sharp and both men fell silent. "Kylo Ren, despite my disappointment at your insistence to buy out the Resistance Inc., I will tell you plainly that the galactic market is not what is once was, and we are in the process of streamlining our company in order to promote its continued well-being."

"Ah, the family business has fallen on hard times, has it?" Kylo purred, folding his hands and leaning back in his chair. "Interested in selling yet another subsidiary to us?"

"We would be interested in having a lawyer look at your employment and termination policies."

"Perhaps if you utilize your resources more efficiently, you wouldn't have to be selling all your subsidiaries to the First Order." Kylo remarked condescendingly.

"Are we really taking this from the guy doesn't even have a vice president and runs his company like playground for children?" Commander Dameron demanded in petulant disbelief, swiveling restlessly in his chair, and ignoring General Organa's warning hand on his arm.

There was a slight gasp from room, everyone shocked at the flippant manner in which the VP of the Resistance Inc. had insulted Kylo Ren, who remain stoically seated in his chair. The drumming of his fingers on the obsidian tabletop was the one indication of his seething anger that boiled below the surface. "One likewise might question the internal stability of a company who allows their vice president to act like a spoiled five-year-old." The words were clipped and biting, dripping with the annoyance Kylo made but feeble attempts to conceal.

"I apologize for _Captain_ Dameron's abrasive elocution," General Organa injected smoothly, sending a glare in the honorable and freshly demoted captain's direction, who currently bore a strong resemblance to an apoplectic Hutt. "But surely you can understand his reasoning and frustration."

Kylo made a noise that sounded like grinding teeth.

"We acknowledge your frustration, even if we do not comprehend it." Hux jumped in, seeing as the CEO was struggling to compose himself and simultaneously deliver a non-violent answer. "Perhaps we should reconvene on another day once your people learn how to keep a civil tongue in their mouths."

"If they still have their tongues." Kylo muttered forebodingly.

General Organa rose from her chair regally, the tightening around her mouth the only sign of her displeasure. "I trust the First Order will be able to fulfill the many expectations they demand of other corporations, yet never themselves." She nodded to the executiveds, and swept out of the room, Captain Dameron and FN-2187 following close behind.

As soon as the blast doors closed, the officers let out a collective breath, obviously relieved no extreme tantrum displays would be exhibited at this board meeting. The hum of subdued chatter arose as Hux dismissed the executives until only Kylo and Rey remained at the expansive table.

Kylo suddenly stood, motioning with his hand for Rey to accompany him as he strode over the large port in the wall. Through the glass, the Resistance ships could be seen leaving the base.

"They think I'm incompetent, that I can't run my own base just because I haven't filled all the traditional offices of business." Kylo's voice was low and his fists clenched as he watched the Resistance depart. "That's why I wanted you," He continued slowly. "I knew Starkiller needed a strong vice president, and I also knew that any grandchild of Emperor Palpatine would be more than able to take this company to new heights and beyond." He fell silent and morose again, and Rey froze in a moment of uncertainty, unsure how to respond to the brooding CEO.

She paused, collecting her rambling thoughts, and oddly comforted by Kylo's impassive presence and the deep mechanical breaths by her side. "Sooo….what do we do now?"

Several more measured breaths.

"We train."

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you again guys for the responses and love! They feed my muse and keep me writing! :) Hope you enjoyed this update!_


	6. Sith, err, Sixth Sense

_A/N: As always, thank you all for the wonderful responses! I wish I could respond to all the guest reviews as well, but know I appreciate every one of you! *aggressively throws love and confetti in your direction* Enjoy this update! Xx_

* * *

"No no no, _left_ foot back, raise your arms to eye level, not above your head like some screeching Cophrigin monkey." Kylo Ren snapped, using his sparring staff to correct Rey's posture, who huffed and grudgingly obliged.

"I thought you were going to teach me about the Force, not kill me with cardio." She glared up at the black and silver mask that showed no semblance of remorse for her condition. "Aren't you going to have me practice mediating and finding inner peace and all that rubbish?"

"Lesson one: never question your teacher or his methods. I said I would train you in the Force, part of that training requires learning certain combat maneuvers. And who said anything about inner peace? The Dark Side is all about inner turmoil and angst, it's kind of our specialty."

"You're a prime example of Dark Side snobbery, that's for sure." Rey muttered resentfully.

"For that remark, go through the form another fifteen times."

Rey went through the forms, sweaty and her irritation only hindering her movements. "What do you want from all this?" She growled at last, throwing her staff down in annoyance after completing the exercise.

Kylo seemed surprised, as if the answer were obvious, though Rey supposed that to thick-brained only children, all thoughts seemed obvious to their exalted brains. _Not that I can talk too much flack about only children._

"I want you to crush the Resistance with me. You saw how prideful and haughty they are, how they think we're incapable of running the galaxy correctly, how they seek to tear Starkiller down, and the only way to stop them is to completely and utterly decimate, destroy, and obliterate them."

"That's a lot of adjectives. How about forging a merger? That seems a tad less dramatic and destructive."

Kylo sounded grievously offended. "A merger? When I'm aiming for total acquisition for the company? I'd sooner make out with a Hutt."

Rey scrunched her nose, disgusted at the unnecessary mental image. "Thanks, I did not need that picture in my brain."

He shrugged his broad shoulders expressively. "But my point was made. Now, back to practice."

Another hour passed, and Rey was fuming. Nothing she did was good enough for the perfectionist Ren, who constantly pointed out her mistakes and threw in strong verbal reprimands to boot.

Currently she was trying to disarm the CEO with the stout wooden staffs they were using. Each and every time Rey ended up flat on her back or face, no matter how close she managed to get. This time she had landed heavily on her side, and bit her lip to stifle the instinctive gasp of pain as her wrist twisted underneath the weight of her body.

"Another round." Kylo instructed from above, his voice detached and cold, so very different from the impassioned tones he'd deployed to attempts to persuade her into joining him.

Rey inhaled deeply, growing angerier by the second. She reached out and grasped tightly onto her anger, allowing it to power her battered body as she stiffly rose and picked up her fallen staff. A calm settled over her, like the silence before the hailstorm, and she let her emotions rage through her veins, easing sore joints into fluid movements as she met Kylo's darting upperhand strike.

It was like she was no longer a part of herself, but something more , connected to a greater and more ancient force than she could possibly comprehend.

 _Open your mind._

All thoughts of correct foot position, which parry to use, fled from her mind. She visualized sinews and tendons wrapping around the wooden handle of her staff, becoming an extension of herself, smoothly cutting the air, which grew thicker with the voices of the past that swirled around her body. Whispers floated on an impossible breeze, distant murmurs barely too faint to pierce together. A rush of exhilaration bubbled up from within, and Rey felt giddy as visions of untouched abilities and powers bloomed and faded in her mind's eye.

 _Rey…._

 _….You don't know the power…._

 _….feel the rage flow….._

The noise of a staff clattering to the training floor broke Rey from the almost trance-like state she'd been enveloped in. She glanced at her hand, half-expecting it to be empty. No. It was Kylo's staff that had fallen, that she'd knocked out of his grip in a perfect maneuver that had evaded her all day.

"Y-you did it." His voice was winded and slightly startled, but undeniably pleased.

"Did what, exactly?" Rey felt her anger subside, and with it went that glorious state she'd ascended to oh-so-briefly.

"You've tapped into the Dark Side of the Force, letting your emotions fuel your actions. That is the key to ultimate power. Repress what you feel, and your power dies with it."

Rey stared down at her hands, which were surprisingly steady after the vigorous routine she'd put them through. "It...it felt... _right."_

"Because it was right, you are precisely where you were meant to be." His voice was low and insistent. "Rey, this is the path to leadership that you've always wanted. Trust me."

Rey studied the grooves and contours of the impassive mask before her. A fragile bubble of a wish to see Kylo's true face flared within her. "I think I'm starting to."

A companionable silence fell briefly before Kylo motioned her over to the door. "Come with me." He jerked his head. "We're going on a walk."

"That didn't sound like a question." Rey jogged to keep up with his long legs. Her continued interactions with the CEO had slowly dissolved her awe and fear of the man, allowing her to dish out the sauce she'd restrained previously (at least some of the time).

"That's because it wasn't a question."

They passed through multiple halls and rode on several lifts, when Kylo swiped an access code to a large door, revealing a broad catwalk overlooking a bustling control room. Encircling the wide room were giant, expansive windows, the snow-covered planet visible outside, freshly dusted in a coating of the white powder.

"Wow." Rey breathed as the pair walked to the end of the catwalk. "What a view."

A shrill series of beeps caught Rey's ear as a black ball came whizzing towards the pair at breakneck speed.

"Calm down, Niney, Hux is always about to have a fit, it's a daily occurrence for him." Kylo sighed in response to the stream of binary being thrown at him, while Rey watched the scene with amused eyes.

"You have your own BB unit?" The thought softened her, and somehow humanized the complex character of her CEO. What would she discover next? At this point, she almost wouldn't be shocked if Kylo whipped out a ukulele and started crooning old Corellian lullabies.

"BB-9E. My own personal day planner and part-time electronic conscience." There was a trace of laughter in Kylo's distorted voice, and Rey squinted up at him.

"Was...that a joke? From the infamous Kylo Ren? I thought you didn't do that sort of thing." She bit her lip and grinned at Kylo's double take as she kneeled to greet the round droid.

"Maybe. I've been told my sense of humor would make the old Republic Senate bored to tears." He deadpanned, nudging Niney with his foot to keep the droid from bowling Rey over in excitement.

Rey chuckled despite herself, rubbing the side of BB-9E's tool disk panel, who hummed in appreciation. "I have my BB unit, BB-8, I found him lost in a marketplace and brought him home."

"If he has half the personality of Niney here, I imagine he's quite the handful." Kylo commented, earning an asserting beep from the droid in question.

/ _Being a handful is part of my official job description_ /

Rey laughed delightedly, rising from her crouched position to grin up at the CEO. "You're surprisingly un-stereotypical at times, you know that?"

"What about the other times?"

Rey could swear Kylo was smiling behind his mask. "The rest of time you pretty much fit the labels, no offense."

"Joke's on you, I create my own labels, but I'll take it as a half-victory, nonetheless."

They stood there for several silent minutes, each privately enjoying the scenery and the shared company of each other (though both would die the death before admitting it), when Kylo broke the quiet.

"So, how is the new assistant supervisor doing at her job?"

Rey blinked, surprised at the banal and conversational question from Kylo that sounded painfully forced. "Pretty uneventful, you've had me training or in board meetings for most of the twenty-four hours I've been assistant supervisor."

"That's fair." Kylo nodded. "How do you like your subordinates?"

"My coworkers? Yeah, they're pretty great at their jobs."

"Any issues with new hires?"

 _Where was this line of questioning going?_ "Well, Matt had a little trouble getting into the swing of things, but he's doing much, much better." She added quickly. Giving Kylo the impression Matt was a bad worker was the last thing she wanted to do. "He's really got a...unique approach to radar technology."

"This Matt...you're close with him?"

"Yeah, I'd say so." Rey paused reflectively. She was closer to Matt than probably anyone else on the base. "He's a great guy." She stole a long sideways glance, watching the CEO's reaction. "And besides I like blondes."

Kylo rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. "Not into dark-haired people, I take it?"

BB-9E bumped gently against her leg, drawing Rey's attention to the little droid, who beeped and trilled up at her.

"He doesn't like to hear me complimenting people other than him?" She turned to look at Kylo, who was very studiously examining the window pane in front of him. "Is that so?"

Very conveniently for Kylo's dangerously wounded ego, Rey's comm pinged, reminding her of the impending lunch hour.

"Stars, it's lunch time… I promised Mat- a friend- I'd meet them for lunch in the canteen."

 _Kriff, I forgot too. Quick costume change time here we go._ "I will see you tomorrow then, same hour, sharp." Kylo pivoted and stalked out of the room, jogging to the lift and frantically pushing the buttons as soon as he was out of sight of Rey.

He should get a medal for all the rapid wardrobe changes he'd performed lately. It was a skill.

* * *

"Hey, Matt! How's it going? Haven't seen you around too much lately." Tim greeted the technician as Matt, rather out of breath, plopped down at the table shared by Zack and the stormtrooper, his food precariously rattling on the tin lunch tray at the rapid movement.

"I've been...busy. With stuff." Matt explained helpfully, picking out a hair from his tray of beans. Disgusting.

"What stuff?"

"Very Important Stuff."

"Oh. Descriptive."

There was an awkward pause as Tim and Zack waited for more information that was not forthcoming from the silent Matt. Kylo had once engaged in a round of the Silent Game with R2D2 in his distant (and compartmentalized) childhood and neither had spoken for five days. R2, of course, had cheated by simply going into low power mode. Not that he was still bitter about it or anything. The point being, Kylo wasn't about to crack now underneath the stares of a few nosy employees.

Tim coughed conspicuously. "Zack here was just telling me about some hoity-toity Resistance Inc. board meeting his commanding officer went to yesterday."

Matt started choking on his protein-graced fava beans.

"Yes," Zack spoke, thumping Matt's back in a friendly effort to help. "And guess what? He said some girl radar technician supervisor was there, and that Kylo Ren absolutely insisted on her presence."

Matt swallowed his half-masticated beans. "Rey? Well, I'm sure Kylo Ren's superior mental facilities had a more than sufficient reason for having her there."

He was fairly certain none of the general workers knew that he was training Rey, but naturally news of the unconventional board meeting would spread like wildfire through the notorious Starkiller grapevine. If Starkiller employees performed their jobs half as efficiently as they spread gossip, the First Order would already dominated the entire galactic marketplace years ago, and the Resistance would be immaterial.

"Of course you'd say that." Tim chuckled. "But aren't you worried about your idol/boy crush sweeping your girl off her feet with all his punk edgelord vibes and stuff? I hear the ladies are into that sort of thing, Maker knows why."

"Not to mention his money." Zack added through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, don't forget the money. That boy is as stuffed with money as a cooked eel on a Hutt's dinner plate."

Kylo felt like he was going to have an aneurism, right after his impending hernia ruptured. "I-I...She's not my girl." He croaked hoarsely. _She's my queen. And VP._

Tim threw back his head, roaring with laughter. "C'mon man, with the way you moon after her all day, and follow her around like a lost kid, and do everything together…" He winked before taking a swig of his drink. "Just let us know when you're sending out the save-the-dates."

"Plus you wrote her name inside a heart on your locker." Zack was enjoying this whole conversation way too much.

"Did not! It said 'Hey' not Rey."

"Wanna bet?"

"What are you fellows up to?" Rey's smiling voice paralyzed Matt as the girl in question slid onto the bench next to him.

"Just talking about asset management." Zack grinned knowingly behind his glass.

Rey cocked an eyebrow as she stole one of Matt's forsaken potato wedges. "I didn't think you all had any assets to manage."

"Oooh, Rey's been picking up some Kylo sass." Tim smirked.

"Speaking of Kylo Ren," Matt jumped in hastily. "Have any of you seen him without his mask on? I hear his face is the best."

"Where do you get this intel, Matt?" Tim shook his head, visibly holding back a belly laugh. "Go give him a kiss for me the next time you run into him in the bathroom or something."

"Hey, they're just teasing," Rey bumped Matt's shoulder with hers, noting the flash of annoyance that crossed his face behind the oversized glasses.

"So Rey," Zack began, pushing his empty tray away from him. "Tell us all about this special board meeting you got called into. Was Kylo as every bit of the hunk Matt swears he is?"

Rey shifted on the bench uncomfortably. "He was wearing his mask, so I couldn't say." On cue, images of Kylo's shirtless bod swam before her eyes, and she ducked her head, suddenly very interested in the scratches and dents in the worn tabletop. "But I don't think he's my type." She added for the benefit of Matt, err, the men around her. "And they wanted representation from multiple sectors of employees for the meeting, so that's why I was called in."

"Ah, well, I will say this for Kylo," Zack piped up, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The guy does get a bad rap. He's trying to accomplish something that's never been done in the history of galactic entrepreneurship before. You know, rule everything?"

"It's ridiculous." Tim shook his head.

"It's impressive, I'll admit." Zack insisted. "I admire the guy for that."

"Yes. Exactly." Matt proclaimed, bobbing his head like a porg with a broken neck. "exACTly."

* * *

Kylo was back in the control room, unmasked and gazing back out over the silent planet, conflicted and confused. On one hand, his plan to recruit Rey was partially working, she was training with him and learning the ways of the Force, as well as discovering more about him. On the other hand, she was clearly developing feelings for Matt. Which...was good, it meant she liked him. No, no it meant she liked Matt, not Kylo. He could keep playing the Matt role, but then Rey would never like him for him. And if she already liked Matt, she couldn't like Kylo, despite his best attempts to praise Kylo while in his Matt persona. It was all just begging for a migraine onset.

He recalled the way Rey had looked at him-at Matt rather-that night at Maz's, the way gratitude and trust had shone from her hazel eyes, and he simultaneously steamed in anger that she hadn't directed those looks to him, Kylo, and also thrilled that she had looked at him, any version of him, like that at all.

He groaned and raked a hand through his hair. _Ugh, what have I done?_ Was he seriously competing with himself for one girl's affections and attentions? Yes, yes he was. It was time to up his sabotage game. Rey was destined to become his vice president, and no fake radar technician personality he had invented would come between him and that reality.

"We have more news from the Resistance, sir." Hux's nasally tones rudely interrupted his contemplations on being jealous of himself, and Kylo cursed the fact he'd left his mask off. He hated showing his face and it's accompanying emotions to the general. Besides, having a mask made it doubly easy to doze off in long boring meetings when no one could see your face. Or ignore the ramblings of piddling subordinates who consistently forgot their place.

"What is it? Do we need to restock our supplies of 'Keep Calm and Crush the Resistance' shirts?"

"No, though those shirts have been popular in the employee store. They've agreed to meet tomorrow afternoon to renegotiate the subsidiary deal."

"And? You could have told me all this in a comm or holo." Kylo's lip curled in disgust at the unnecessary physical communication. In this technological day and age, Hux should have the decency to avoid face-to-face audiences with his boss whenever possible.

"Apparently," Hux's voice dripped with disdain and Kylo wondered distantly if the general practiced his habitual haughty sneer in the mirror everyday. He certainly had it down pat. "They're bringing a financial consultant with them this time."

Kylo hummed thoughtfully, tapping impatient gloved fingers against the railing that spanned the length of the deck. "That just shows they're weak and desperate for any leverage they can get. Which firm is this consultant with? There's not many accredited firms that the Resistance could afford."

"Oh, he's not with a firm, one of those freelancers that's more interested in skimming the profits than helping their clients. I imagine he runs his business from the back of an ancient freighter somewhere on the Outer Rim."

Kylo snorted despite himself, half his mind traveling ahead to the following morning and wondering what techniques he would teach Rey. "And what is the name of this illustrious consultant?"

Hux's next words stopped the CEO cold.

"Han Solo."

* * *

 _A/N: Yes, Han will be entering this little story as you all have requested. :)_

 _Fun fact: the "crush the Resistance with me" line came from a Kylo valentine I saw in Michael's the other day. xD When the muse is inspired, you don't argue with the source material._

 _Let me know what you all thought/how you're enjoying the story so far/favorite part/or ways to help me improve my writing!_

 _Til next week!_


	7. In Seventh Hell

_A/N:_ _I apologize for the late update! But I'd rather give you all a (hopefully) better chapter than some half-baked thing I typed up at 1am. :P I might start updating on Mondays (North American time), as that gives me a little more wiggle room with classes and all._

 _A quick reminder that in this AU, Kylo was technically alive when Darth Vader was, but he never met his hero._

 _Hope you enjoy this update, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for the amazing reviews! It makes my week! ^.^_

* * *

"It's just, I want her to care about me. But I want her to care about me, not Matt, even though technically Matt is me, but he's also not me, which means that even if Rey likes Matt, she still doesn't really like me, and aarrghh…" Kylo dug the heel of his hand into his eyeballs in frustration.

He was sprawled lengthwise on a black couch in his personal quarters, head propped up by a pillow emblazoned with a vinyl Darth Vader and the words " **JOIN ME** ". BB-9E was next to the couch, extensor claws extended and gripping a datapad, with which the little droid made rapid notes.

"And like, then Hux just casually mentions without any warning whatsoever that both of the people who forced me into this wretched galaxy will be here later today, _at my base_ , and we'll all be in the same room. One I can handle, but _both?"_ After the bombshell revelation that Hux had so graciously delivered, Kylo had barely managed to make it back to his quarters before dissolving into a hurricane of raging testosterone. His furniture bore the testifying marks to his tantrum, and his lounge area had certainly seen better days.

"I haven't communicated with that old man in years, much less talked with him face-to-face. Can you imagine what my officers might think if Han Solo decides to open his Sarlaac-pit-sized hole of a mouth and tell stories about Ben Solo? I'll be disgraced. Dismissed. Rejected. Publicly humiliated!" Kylo growled low in his throat. "And that's unbearable. Why does everyone seem to have a complete disregard for my emotional stability?" He continued moodily, frowning at the ceiling above him.

/ _Or emotional **in** stability_ /

"You're supposed to ask questions, not make comments. Do the job I hired you to do."

A rapid series of beeps and whrrs, punctuated by a high pitched shrill.

"I know, I know, it's a free session, but please just stick to asking me how stuff makes me feel, alright? Besides, I pay for your processor upgrades, so we're technically even on that score."

BB-9E tooted a quick retort.

"Kriff Niney, I can't tell her who I really am, did you short a circuit or something?"

/ _Why not tell her?_ /

"Because she'll hate me forever if I tell her that her newest and closest friend is actually the CEO she passive-aggressively despises. My shot with Rey would be gone, obliterated, extinguished." Kylo waved his arms in the air for added emphasis.

Niney burbled something that sounded mildly rude.

"I'm being dramatic! Well, excuse me for overreacting to a highly sensitive and complicated situation that may have life-changing and potentially catastrophic repercussions for the future of both Starkiller and my mental health, not to mention pride and dignity." He sighed deeply and threw an arm over his face. "I'm sorry." He mumbled after a short pause. "This whole situation is just….a lot to handle."

BB-9E set the data pad down, rolling up to the couch to peer at Kylo through the visual sensor. / _You're also a lot to handle. Next time it'll be 50 units_ /

* * *

"So, what forms are we doing today? Got any more emotional Force thingys for me to tap into?" Rey twirled her staff around, stumbling awkwardly when the weapon caught in her fingers, but catching herself before it clattered to the floor.

"Next, we focus on some of the hardest aspects of training." Kylo intoned dramatically, flicking his tunic behind him as he carefully seated himself on the floor in a traditional meditation pose. He had pulled himself together after his session with BB-9E, and now was only more determined than ever to win Rey over.

Rey followed suit, sitting and crossing her legs, fingers itching to tackle the next lesson. "Whatever it is, I'm ready for it."

 _One Hour Later_

"What would your ROI be if you invested 100,000 units in a company worth 2 billion, making your profit 75,000 units?"

"If you as an investor and business owner are attempting to replicate a price-weighted index, would you need to hold an equal, greater, or lesser of shares?"

"What types of portfolio risk will diversification help reduce?"

"Compare passive and active management investment and what each involves."

"If a decrease in the selling price of a company's only product results in an increase in the company's total revenue, is the demand for the company's product considered elastic or not?"

"How long am I supposed to keep trying to answer these?" Rey protested with a groan from her cross-legged position on the floor. "And remind me again how these questions have any bearing whatsoever with teaching me about the Force? This isn't learning about an ancient power, this is a business management class." She squinted up at her teacher. "You know, you're really not being very subtle with the whole vice president thing."

"I have no idea what you're referring to." Kylo grinned beneath his mask, not bothering to hide the smirk from his voice. "But surely you must know as the granddaughter of the Emperor, the Empire itself was built on a system of overly complicated business rules and scores of unnecessary red tape that kept its adversaries perpetually confused. Genius, really."

Rey rubbed her temples, her previous confidence sorely depleted. "If I have to hear another word about advisory firms and financial statements I might scream."

"Very well, we shall have a brief lunch break on the bridge." Kylo offered, glancing at the large chronometer that hung on the training wall. "It offers quite an excellent view, and by some miracle the cooks manage to produce menus nearly on par with that of Coruscanti chefs."

"Gee thanks, but even though you know how much I love spending time with you," Rey teased as she rose to her feet. "I already have a prior commitment."

Ah, yes. Yesterday Rey had wrung out of him-Matt-an agreement to meet for lunch.

"I feel like I hardly see you anymore." She'd claimed, gazing up at him in a way that had made Kylo's stomach drop faster than a dead Jedi. "I miss talking, how about lunch tomorrow?"

He had stuttered out an assenting reply, already knowing he'd have to break the rendezvous somehow. He couldn't keep spending so much time with Rey as Matt, especially if Rey was ever going to like Kylo better than the awkward radar technician monster he'd created.

"Rey, your commitment is to your teacher and your training. Besides, why would you want to eat with boring, uncultured, badly dressed, and near-sighted radar technicians who probably couldn't even read a lunch menu if it was six inches in front of them?"

He'd struck a nerve.

 _"First_ of all, Mr. I'm-the-Epitome-of-Culture-and-Fashion-Because-I-Only-Ever-Wear-Black-and-Never-Show-My-Face, those "uncultured" employees happen to be my _friends,_ and according to the official employee rulebook, I am at liberty to spend my breaks wherever and with whomever I choose. And currently, I'm choosing to spend it away from you."

Kriff, she had fallen harder than he'd thought for his alter ego. _Increase sabotage and manipulation tactics to Level 8._

"And just where in the rulebook does it state that nonsense?" He demanded, glaring up at Rey from his seat on the ground. Stars, she was beautiful when she angry.

"Chapter 47, Article 9, page 238, paragraph 6." Rey shot back, unable to keep the pleased grin off her face at Kylo's apparent speechlessness. She had memorized the specific reference for exactly such a time as this. Payoff was sweet indeed.

"Well...well...that may be true while you're on break, but I expect you to meet me back here in thirty minutes sharp. The Resistance Inc. is coming with consultants today and you will attend the meeting again." Kylo's tone brooked no further comment, and he hastened out of the room, his anger a palpable entity.

"Jerk face." Rey mumbled under her breath as she made her escape. Kylo was hands-down the most complicated man she'd ever had the misfortune to meet, though Matt came in a close second. One day Kylo was on the verge of kind and personable, the next he went straight back to being an insufferable prick. The guy clearly had issues.

 _Honestly, I don't know what Matt sees in him._

* * *

"...and I don't know, Matt, I've already learned so much, but sometimes it's hard to convince myself that it's worth the trouble of putting up with Kylo Ren." Rey explained with a sigh as the pair walked out of the canteen following their lunch together.

"Rey, Kylo is the teacher you need and deserve." Matt admonished as they rounded a corner. "Why would you pass up a chance to gaze at him uninterrupted for thirty minutes straight? I heard his face made sculptors weep because they couldn't capture his beauty and perfection."

"Too bad I've never seen his face, just his chest." Rey rolled her eyes sarcastically, though she couldn't help the way her tongue tripped over itself as Kylo's chiseled abs came into mind. _Not helping._ "Besides, I like your face." She smiled bashfully, but Matt was for once oblivious to the compliment.

"Well, your chances of seeing his face go down 99.99% if you're not spending time with him."

Rey halted in puzzlement, cocking an eyebrow and placing a defiant hand on her hip. "Are you saying you'd rather that I ditched our lunch time, the one chance we get to see each other nowadays, for an awkward lunch with Kylo Ren, the guy who only wants me for his vice president because of my ancestry?"

"Yes." Unblinking stare. Internally, Kylo was writhing with indecision, hating to destroy the friendship he'd built with her as Matt. But if Rey was to be _his_ -Kylo's, not Matt's-certain sacrifices had to be made.

Rey narrowed her eyes, disguising the cold pool of hurt that spread from behind her left lung like a cancer. "That's...rather unlike you. Even given your fanatic Kylo obsession."

Approaching voices prevented Matt's reply as two individuals came into view. One was a large brown Wookie, and the other was an older man, hair frosted with grey and the grim slant to his mouth warring with the laughter crinkles around his eyes. A worn leather jacket and belt full of blasters and ammo suggested a scoundrel or a smuggler, but his face appeared honest. Rey felt Matt go rigid next to her.

"Hey, you two! You guys must know this mess of crazy hallways, how do we get to the bridge?" The man called while the Wookie chuffed and growled something to his companion. "I told you, Chewie, we were taking the scenic tour, now get off my case. Sorry," He straightened his jacket and stuck out a hand. "Chewie thinks he can navigate hallways." A snort. "Anyways, the name is Han."

"Rey." She shook his offered hand, wondering what the kriff this motley duo was doing on Starkiller. _Maybe more of the Resistance crew._

"Not impressed." Matt stated decisively, as he stubbornly ignored the friendly hand Han held out.

"Oo-kay then, guess you doesn't like shaking hands, huh? It's better than swapping saliva like some races do." Han fell silent as he studied Matt's features for minute.

"Do you know me?" Matt asked quietly, an unidentifiable emotion lancing his voice.

"Never met you in my life, son. But kriff, you need to get some sunlight. And a sandwich or two wouldn't hurt, you look like you weigh thirty pounds soaking wet, kid."

"What did you call me?" Matt snapped out, his eyes flashing upwards to meet the older man's.

"Matt, 'son' and 'kid' are just expressions, he didn't mean to be disrespectful." Rey soothed, placing a restraining hand on Matt's sleeve.

"I happen to be an adult." Matt remarked coldly, eyeing the pair with disdain. The Wookie growled warningly in his direction. "And I'm not your son."

"I can take a hint, someone's got daddy issues." Han raised his hands in surrender.

"You have no idea."

"Uh, the bridge is three floors above us." Rey interjected, steering the conversation back to the original topic. "Take that lift up two floors, turn to your left until you see another lift, and take that one up a level."

"Thanks, kid. Glad to see some people still have manners in this corporation." Han motioned to the Wookie as they moved in the direction Rey had pointed them. "C'mon Chewie, we have a certain someone's day to ruin."

As they disappeared behind a corner, Rey spun back to Matt. "What was that all about? I get you being awkward around people, but why so rude? You've never even met them before."

Matt evaded her question. "This is why you should spend more time with Kylo, he's consistently rude to everyone. I'm not on his level yet, I'm only rude part-time."

 _"Matt."_ Rey's comm link went off, and she cursed Kylo, Starkiller, and kriffing board meetings that always managed to be at the most inconvenient times possible.

"We're not done talking about this," She informed Matt sternly as they parted ways. "Not at all done."

* * *

 _Add attending boring conferences and fighting with Kylo to part of my daily routine._ Rey thought glumly.

Once again, she was seated next to Kylo Ren in a large conference room while the officers around her gossiped in hushed whispers behind gloved hands. The wait for the Resistance executives was a relatively short one, and soon enough the now-familiar figure of General Leia Organa and her posse walked through the door. Rey marked the absence of the disruptive Vice President Dameron and the traitor FN-2187. She supposed the General wished to conduct the day's business proceedings without any further distractions.

This time however, two additional figures strode in, glaringly obvious in their lack of Resistance uniforms.

 _Han and Chewie, the pair from the hallway. And the Resistance financial consultants, apparently._ Rey surmised, recalling an previously overhead conversation in which Hux had ranted on the atrocity of listening to the babblings of a man whose idea of a strong investment was building a bar. She never would have pegged the two as financial experts from their earlier interaction. _Guess people aren't always what they appear to be._

The Resistance officers made their way to their seats, exchanging polite nods by way of greeting to their First Order counterparts. Han caught sight of Kylo and he sighed heavily as he sank into his chair, Leia Organa following more gracefully. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

"Then why don't you just leave?" Kylo hissed intensely from across the table, stiffer than a two-day-old Bothan corpse.

"This from the boy who complained that all I ever did was leave."

"Han…" The General started warningly, casting a self-conscious at the curious and surprised faces around them.

"Who's the girl?" Han asked without preamble, clear brown eyes sizing Rey up shrewdly, recognition flashing through them before he turned back to the General, who motioned discreetly at Kylo and then back to Rey.

Han's eyes widened as he caught the General's drift. "Aw, hell, are you seriously telling me Ben got a girlfriend? You're too good for him, sweetheart." Both he and the Wookie broke into uproarious laughter, and Rey watched with concern as the steel armrests of Kylo's chair crumbled beneath his violent Force-grip.

 _Who is Ben anyways?_

The Resistance and First Order officers appeared as confused as Rey felt, and Hux looked like he'd bitten into a sour Muja fruit. Then again, a typical expression for him.

The consultant, Han Solo according to the meeting docket, was still catching his breath and wiping his eyes, ignoring the exasperated glares from the General. "Oh boy, have I waited a long time for this. Kid-Rey was it?- I hope you've prepared yourself to put up with mood swings bigger than black holes and delusions of grandeur the size of Death Stars."

"It's not delusions when your grandeur is real." Kylo muttered sulkily from his end of the table.

"Well, I can see your ego hasn't shrunk. Good to see your head is still swollen."

Rey stifled a choked laugh, mainly because this Han Solo was condemning Kylo for the same vices and faults she'd berated him for mere days ago.

"Maybe if I'd been allowed to grow up with my grandparents like normal children, I wouldn't be such a gross disappointment to your pitifully minuscule expectations. Sorry that I actually became success outside of your little "family" corporation."

"Still bitter we never took you to meet ol' Darth while he was alive, is that it?" Han chuckled, gleefully unrepentant as he propped his booted feet on top of the table, reveling in the muffled gasps from the present company. "Why don't you take off the mask? Or are you too afraid to show your lady friend your lack of any skin pigmentation? He always was pale, but geesh, just don't give me albino grandkids or something." He remarked aside to Rey, who was torn between the desire to laugh at the ridiculousness of the entire situation, and bit her nails in worry at the escalating tension.

Pieces were beginning to click into place, though, and Rey recalled that Darth Vader, Kylo's grandfather, had had a daughter, a daughter raised by a senator on Alderaan….. Leia Organa, the name had always sounded vaguely familiar.

"Han, we're here on business, remember?" Leia- _Kylo's mother_ -exclaimed in frustration, her cool demeanor slipping for a brief moment as she twisted in her chair to face the rogue consultant.

"Did I...miss something?" Hux interjected, calculating eyes quickly shifting between Kylo Ren, the General, and Han Solo.

"Just about thirty years of bad feeling, Hugs, that's all." Han explained good-naturedly. "You don't mind, do you?"

"It's Hux. General Armitage Hux."

Han snorted. "Someone had parents who hated them."

"Yes, that makes two of us." Kylo snapped, swiveling in his chair. "Hux, I want everyone out. Except them." He nodded at Han, Leia, and Rey.

"But the subsid-" Hux began.

"OUT!" Kylo yelled, slamming a fist on the tabletop as Resistance and Starkiller officers alike fled the scene of the family drama, Hux exiting last with obvious reluctance.

"You always were temperamental." Han commented, watching the officers file out of the room. "Half temper and half mental."

Kylo exhaled shakily, rising to his feet to glare at his parents. "What the _hell_ are you playing at? Did you think I wouldn't buy your subsidiary if I was too upset to concentrate? Is that your plan? To distract me by pretending that you actually care anything about me beyond my net worth and the fact I didn't follow in the family business?" His voice was steadily rising, and Rey noticed uneasily how various objects in the room were shaking with the passion Kylo exuded. The room seemed to shrink, the walls denting in as if a giant hand were slowly squeezing the room.

"Ben-" Leia began hesitantly.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"Then stop acting like a child! We named the family droid Kylo, your name is Ben!" Han exploded, his carefree exterior shattering as his face flushed dark red. "And don't talk to your mother with that tone of voice!"

"I'll talk to her however I want! You can't ground me anymore!"

Chunks of the ceiling rained from above. Rey thanked the stars that the officers and Hux had left before they witnessed more of the playground shouting match. It was rather embarrassing, and it wasn't even her family issues. Thank the Maker for that. There are perks to being an orphan.

"This is why we disowned you!" Han yelled, fingers dangerously fiddling with his blaster. "Why don't you grow up already?"

"Han, Ben, STOP!" Leia commanded imperiously, but neither man paid any heed to the General. Both father and son were now nose-to-mask across the conference table.

"I _AM_ grown up!" Kylo yelped insistently, his voice cracking on the last word and rising two octaves until he sounded more like a pubescent jawa than a human male.

"Kylo, stop!" Rey tightly gripped the rough fabric of his tunic, yanking him backwards, desperate to end the totally unasked-for family drama. "Please." She added quietly, gazing steadily into the depths of his darkened visor as he faced her with exaggerated slowness. "It's not worth it."

There was a pause, broken only by the labored breathing of the party, as Kylo continued to stare down into Rey's firm but entreating eyes.

"I want them off my base until further notice." He gritted out, visibly checking his rage. "The Resistance should enjoy their autonomy while they still can." He whirled out of the room, stalking away with his Vader-cape swishing behind him. The door snapped closed behind him, and Rey was left with the parents of her boss and years of awkwardness.

"Um, I apologize...your ships are in Hangar 97." Rey offered, rising to follow Kylo's escape trajectory.

"Wait."

It was Leia. Rey halted at the door and slowly turned to face the CEO of the Resistance, who gave Rey a watery smile. Han was grinning from ear to ear.

"Rey, that was amazing." Leia walked over and clasped Rey's hand in both of her own. "I've never, ever seen anyone calm Ben down like you just did."

"It was something else." Han agreed from behind Leia's shoulder, winking at Rey's bewildered expression. "You're definitely The One."

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what's all going on," Rey confessed, slowly pulling her hand out of Leia's grip. "But I don't want to get caught up in any family affairs."

"Too late for that, kid."

"He _listened_ to you." Leia attempted to explain. "He listened and did what you asked, and you didn't even have to use tickets to the Darth Vader Memorial Museum as bribery."

"We blew so much money on that bucket of propaganda. I hear he's the main benefactor now."

"The point is: you could help him tremendously in running Starkiller and his different businesses."

"Not to mention help him run his life."

"We need you, Rey." Leia pleaded. "Help Ben see reason in his business transactions and the way he runs Starkiller. The Resistance Inc. could go under, and our family has worked hard for so long to build the corporation we now have."

Rey bit her lip, slightly ruffled at the idea of manipulating Kylo to benefit his rivals, even if they were his parents. Not that she had an issue with the manipulation part, she'd do that gladly, what was irritating was the fact she was being asked to do it by the competition.

"Thank you, I guess? But I highly doubt he would listen to any advice that involved helping your company." She nodded briefly to the pair before turning to exit the room, pausing at the threshold to deliver a parting comment.

"And his name is Kylo now. It might help if you tried to call him by it."

* * *

 _A/N: So, good news! I now have a better defined plot arc for this fic, and more drama and humor is about to go down. :3 Your support is what keeps me writing, thank you all for being so faithful and wonderful!_


	8. 801(k)

_A/N: Thank you for the awesome response on the last chapter, so glad you all enjoyed Han!_

 _Anndd heeeereee we go! Please buckle your seat belts, and keep all mechanical and real arms, legs, and tentacles inside the vehicle at all times._

* * *

The next morning, Rey woke in her quarters to the sight of BB-8 next to her bed, peering at her through his visual sensor less than six inches away from her face. Her muscles tensed and she jolted upwards instinctively, as BB-8 tooted a cheery 'good morning', followed by a string of peppy binary.

"I know, I did ask for a wake up call. Yesterday was rather draining."

She stretched and rose from her bed, padding over to the kitchen to put a pot of caf on, the droid rolling at her heels. A kettle was already singing happily on the heating pad, and at the sight Rey bent down to give BB-8 a grateful rub on one of his side panels. "You're the best droid a girl could ask for, you know that right?"

BB-8's self-righteous beep assured her that he did indeed know this fact.

* * *

 _Ping._

 _Ping._

 _Ping ping._

 _Ping._

 _Ping ping ping._

 _Ping._

 _PING._

 _Pong._

"Alright, I get it already!" Kylo admonished his datapad, swiping through the flood of messages he had mainly been ignoring until now. The ones marked 'urgent' were naturally all from Hux, even a shipping order for trooper blasters was urgent to the controlling Chief of Staff. One particular message caught his eye, however, as it contained Rey's name. Hux was detailing all the business savvy the "little manual laborer" had shown, apparently even the snooty ginger was impressed, because he was requesting- _demanding_ -a promotion for the girl. He had finished the message with a few parting shots about poor management requiring strong leaders to step up when the head leadership was lacking.

Kylo repressed a smirk, reveling in the general's ignorance of the manner he was being manipulated. Rey would never accept the rags-to-riches promotion he'd initially offered her, and the backlash from Hux and others could have put the squabbling old Republic Senate to shame.

If he showcased Rey's innate business mind and Force potential, while appearing reluctant to promote her, the executive board would foam at the mouth, demanding to know why this management goldmine of a girl wasn't being utilized fully. Of course, the subtext implied she would rapidly ascend to the vice presidency. He made a point of putting Rey in situations where she could be of assistance to the higher ups when problems arose.

/ _My visual sensors are detecting 'that' look on your face again_ / BB-9E informed him from across the room.

"And what look would that be? Last I checked, we were up to 47 unique 'looks'."

/ _The 'I think I just did something really clever' one_ /

"One of my best ones."

* * *

Rey restrained a sigh as she entered the training room later that morning. A part of her had secretly wished that Kylo would cancel practice after the semi-traumatizing family shouting match yesterday. No such luck. She hadn't forgotten her promise to talk things over with Matt, and her fingers tapped with impatience against her thigh, eager to sort any miscommunications out.

Assistant supervisor or not, the amount of time she spent actually being a radar technician now had decreased drastically. Kylo kept having her run seemingly pointless errands through the main control hub in the base, where all the analysts and accountants worked. Inevitably, there was always an issue with the financial records, or data incorrectly entered, or something of that ilk. Coincidently, the issue at hand would coincide with some new business concept Kylo had just taught her. It was his clumsy way of elevating her worth in the eyes of his fellow executives.

 _Smooth and subtle as ever, Mr. CEO._

Regardless of the overt motive behind it, the end result was that the officers started to take notice of her, and Hux had once stopped her in the hallway and pompously informed her that she was showing remarkable promise for an assistant supervisor. Rey had bit back the reply that she hardly _did_ any radar supervising what with the tight regimen Kylo had her on. The comment wouldn't have helped the situation at all.

"You're looking...not bad this morning." The voice of the masked Kylo reverberated through the training room as Rey walked in.

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes slightly. Sympathy had tugged at her better judgment when she'd stood up for the CEO yesterday, and she supposed this was Kylo's awkward, roundabout way of thanking her for it.

"What's on the schedule for today?" She asked, hoping it wasn't more rapidfire business questions. Her brain wasn't having that today.

"Sit." Kylo gestured to the floor, lowering himself and folding his long legs as he began to explain. "A trademark weapon for powerful Force wielders is the lightsaber."

Rey's wide eyes jumped immediately to the black mask opposite her. Papa Palps had preferred Force lightning, but he had had several lightsabers, and even let her twirl the saber occasionally. As a child, she dreamed of owning her own signature blade, Papa and her fighting against the the Jedi together.

Her racing thoughts screeched to a sliding halt as Kylo held out a gloved hand, dumping two small, cool objects into her palm.

"Some of the artifacts recovered from the wreckage of the Death Star. I collect many similar items, but these….I felt you should have them."

Rey examined the two dark Kyber crystals glinting up at her. A lump caught in her throat as a soft melody seemed to leak from the watery facets of the jewels. The music of the Kybers, said to only be audible to the user that the crystal chose. She didn't need to ask who the previous owner of the crystals had been. A well-known, leathery, and wrinkled face flashed vividly in her mind, an image manifested by a power outside herself, confirming what her heart already knew.

"Thank you." She breathed shakily, overcome by the magnitude of meaning the small crystal held. The gentle music continued to hum in her ears, as a slow, pleasant burn warmed her fingers and spread up her arm, coiling around her heart as the crystal flared scarlet.

 _Let me show you the power of the Dark Side, granddaughter…._

"Are-are you going to show me how to make one?" Rey questioned Kylo a trifle uncertainly, hope coloring her irises golden like the Siths of ancient legend.

Kylo slowly shook his head in the negative. "No, that is exactly what you are going to do."

"Me?"

"Just close your eyes, and picture the lightsaber you want in your mind. Focus on the crystals, follow the melody." With that nondescript instruction, Kylo folded his arms impassively, drawing into himself as he waited.

Rey sucked in a breath, easing the tightness in her chest as she allowed her muscles to relax, nerves softly swept aside as the Kybers' song drowned out her busy thoughts.

"Pick an emotion, concentrate on it," Kylo's voice floated through the haze. "Let that fuel your power, let the crystals know the depth of your feelings."

Joy. The half-cracked smile on Papa Palps' face as she played Kill the Jedi, the glow of pride when he complimented her on her natural leadership.

Confusion. The hushed whispers on Coruscant, fear-filled eyes unwilling to break the truth to her young self.

Rage. The unconsolable screams ripping from her throat, because she _knew,_ she had felt them wink out of existence as surely as she'd felt her own heart shattering.

The music increased in volume, each emotion adding another layer of notes, melding together to create a song uniquely _hers._

Sadness. The empty hollow in her chest as she watched the stars wheel overhead, ash raining down from the sky. _Their ashes._

Peace. The centeredness when she opened herself to the Force, the calm when she was with….

 _Do you ever feel lost or out of place?_

 _You've been given a gift._

Distantly, as if in a murky dream, she heard noises that sounded like metal pieces flying and scraping and clicking in the background of her symphony.

 _This is your destiny._

An image formed in her mind, a hazy blue light outlining the familiar face that sharpened like a pair of macrobinoculars.

 _Rey, I'm so proud…_

A gasp, and Rey's eyes flew open as a metal cylinder dropped into her lap with the crackle of lightning rumbling through the room. Still sparking with energy, the smooth and elegant black hilt gleamed with the sheen of polished obsidian, the threads of the grips molding perfectly with her hands. Beneath the layers of metal, the hum of the Kybers' music thrummed through her veins, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.

She stood up, awe mixing with adrenaline as she ignited her lightsaber for the first time. A deep crimson blade split the air. Then a second one. Rey twirled the blade experimentally, reveling in the ease the weapon followed her quick movements and pirouettes. She was laughing when finally she sheathed the double blades.

"Kylo, this...this is amazing! I feel…."

"Complete?" He supplied, rising to his feet, his lips tugging upwards at her excitement.

"Like a Palpatine." She finished proudly. "Thank you."

Kylo scratched his neck awkwardly. "Before we finish, I have another topic to address with you. Hux and many other executives have been on my case about you, particularly concerning your aptitude for business affairs. They insist on promoting you to Chief Financial Officer, apparently Starkiller's budgets are a state to behold."

"You're offering me another promotion," Rey began suspiciously as she clipped her new saber to her belt.

"More like I'm being obligated to do so." Kylo hastily interjected, quick to dispel any notions that he had orchestrated the raise.

Rey fell quiet, apparently mulling the idea over as Kylo waited with bated breath. At length, Rey shot him a knowing look.

"You can stop holding your breath, Kylo."

"I'm not holding my breath." He insisted, exhaling discreetly.

"You're wearing a voice distorter as loud as Darth Vader's, I can hear every breath you do or don't take."

"..."

"Touche."

"In all honesty Kylo, I need some time to think about this," Rey confessed. "And ask some people's opinions. Can I put a raincheck on that answer?"

Kylo agreed reluctantly, forgetting to restrain a heavy sigh. "I'll need an answer by this afternoon. Tomorrow, we start lightsaber training."

* * *

"It feels so good to be back with my wires, circuits, and friends." Rey said appreciatively, extracting her head from an mechanical outlet drawer to flash Matt a grin. "Though I still can't believe I have my own lightsaber now, made with Papa Palps' Kyber crystals!"

Matt was stubbornly stoic, merely handing Rey the electrical tape without a word.

The pair worked in silence for a while, Rey's frustration growing with each minute Matt failed to make a socially awkward joke or untimely remark.

"Okay Matt, what is going on?" She huffed at length. "Tell me what's up."

Matt craned his neck to gaze at the ceiling. "Titanium rods reinforced with steel, I'd say. Do you want to know what's down too?"

"You _know_ what I meant."

"Is this an intervention?" He asked, finally breaking his inscrutable mask.

"If that's what it takes for you to talk, then yes. Matt, this is an intervention."

"It's been so long since I've had one, I feel like a preteen again." He ruminated thoughtfully, and Rey couldn't help but smile weakly because at least he sounded like _Matt_ again.

"Really, I want to help with whatever is causing you to act like this. Tell me what's wrong." Rey pleaded, hesitating before adding in a subdued tone. "I just need my friend back."

Matt was harder to crack at times than a shriveled-up Koja nut, but Rey was more persistent than a Old Republic bounty hunter, so eventually Matt caved.

"I think your time could be better spent with more….enlightening people than a entry-level radar technician." He admitted at last, avoiding eye contact as he twisted the straps of his tool belt into knots. "I won't be the person to hold you back in your career." Maybe if he played the sensitive and logical card, Rey would see reason and turn to him, Kylo.

Quite the opposite.

"Matt…" Rey's face softened with understanding, and she reached out a hand, hovering over his own before settling on his wrist with a gentle pressure. "Do you think I really value our friendship that little? You're the first true friend (outside of my droid) I've had in years. That's worth more than any business or career advantage Kylo Ren could give me."

 _Kriff. This just keeps getting worse. It's like watching Han Solo navigate star systems._

"You mean that?" His brown eyes searched her own, conflicting emotions raging in his breast. "I thought following in your grandfather's footsteps was the most important thing to you."

"What use is galactic power if there's no one there to share it with you?" Rey responded simply, blushing deeply at her indirect confession. "I'll prove it," She added. "Kylo just offered me a promotion to Chief Financial Officer, and I won't accept or decline it unless you want me to."

Kylo was momentarily struck dumber than a protocol droid with a malfunctioning voice processor. She was offering him the power to choose her career path, placing her trust and care implicitly in his hands. It spoke volumes more than any sentimental gesture. She cared, truly cared, for him. _Not me._ He reminded himself viciously. _It's Matt she trusts. It's Matt she respects. Matt she wants._

If Rey was basing her career decisions off of Matt's approval, then a fifty year marriage and business partnership was just around the corner. He had to act fast, but he couldn't extinguish the spurting of hurt feeling in his left chest. After he had given Rey her grandfather's Kyber crystals, helped her make a lightsaber, did it mean anything to her? Nooooo, all Matt had to do was flash his oversized glasses and make an ill-timed comment, and Rey was draped all over his poorly constructed uniform.

"I, I-" He cursed his fumbling words. This was his chance to steer Rey into his non-radar technician garbed arms. "Take it." He gasped out at last, feeling like a high grade blender was making bantha fodder of his intestines. "Take the promotion, and keep pursuing your career. You deserve it."

Rey beamed, and Kylo got the terrifying notion that she was about to hug him, throwing his internal blender into hyperdrive mode. However, the PA system crackled on, and an officer's voice was statically requesting Rey to be in Kylo Ren's office in precisely five minutes. Kylo had demanded the announcement earlier, yet his subordinates had amazingly terrible timing. It was almost like they tried.

He turned to allow Rey room to pass into the hallway, when he felt two arms impulsively steal around his waist and give a quick squeeze as a whispered thank you met his ears, before Rey was racing down the hall.

Kylo was certain he had swallowed his tongue as he gaped after Rey's lithe retreating figure.

 _She hugged me._

 _She **hugged** me._

 _She hUGgeD mE._

A chittering of beeps from BB-9E over his comm link restored his presence of mind.

/ _You realize that you need to be in your office in Kylo attire before Rey arrives?_ /

Kriff.

"Lock the controls to the Quadrant D231 lift, I don't need any troopers or droids walking in on me changing. Again."

* * *

"Kylo, I accept your offer."

"Excellent, I kn-"

 _"Only_ because Ma-my friends-agree it would be smart to do so and this promotion lines up with my goals, not because you want me as vice president."

Kylo was silent. "Friendship is overrated."

"Is it now, O-Friendless-One?" She teased.

"Yes, because all you ever do is talk about 'Matt this' and 'Matt that'. " He grimaced half under his breath.

Rey scrunched up her face, a revelation slowly dawning. "Are you _jealous_...of Matt?"

"NO! What a disgusting idea!" Kylo bellowed indignantly, tripping over his feet in an failed attempt to rise from his desk chair. "That is fake propaganda! Whoever told you that gross fabrication is spreading heinous and blatant lies and they shall be swiftly punished and then disposed of for slander."

"You're definitely jealous." A wicked smile split her face. "Does it bother you to know you're not everyone's favorite and most idolized person?" She was certain Kylo was shooting daggers at her from underneath his mask.

"You better leave, Hux will be waiting on the bridge to inform you of your new duties." Kylo responded moodily, sliding past the question as he simultaneously slid out of the room. He wasn't in the mood for another verbal sparring match with Rey. He still hadn't gotten over the shade she'd thrown at Darth Vader after that disastrous first office visit. She may be small, but stars, did she have venom when she needed it!

Rey shrugged, her smile still lingering as she left for the bridge, patiently undergoing a lengthy discourse from Hux detailing every last minutia of her new position and every protocol technicality to the nth degree in case of emergencies.

"Holo for you, Captain." A young officer saluted her, mercifully halting Hux in his office-procedure-information-vomit. Rey blinked, the new title attached to her name stiff and strange to the ear. "From the Resistance." The officer continued, his voice indicating the disgust towards any rival company who had the audacity to personally contact one of their leaders.

"I'll take it in the back office." She walked into the empty room, interest piqued as she closed the door before pressing the receive button.

The General's mild face sprang to life. "Rey, how are you?" She greeted warmly.

"Fine, thank you." A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach informed her that this conversation would involve Kylo. Leia was quick to confirm her hunch.

"I wanted to talk with you about Be-Kylo Ren." She amended. "And how well the two of you work together, and when you compare the greater efficiency and product output both the Resistance and First Order would gain by collaborating, well, I thou-"

"Did you offer her the job yet?" Han's face pushed into the holo as Leia sent him an exasperated glare. "Whoops."

"A job offer?" Rey asked incredulously. Two in a day, new record. Did they honestly think she'd work for the Resistance simply because it would be beneficial for both companies? The First Order only cared about the benefits to themselves. Where did they think the phrase 'looking after #1' had come from? First Order meant putting the interests of the corporation first. But as Leia explained how mutual cooperation and possible partnership could further the interests of all parties, Rey couldn't help but mentally weigh the options in the analytical business fashion Kylo had drummed into her.

"Well, whadda ya say, kid? Want to whip some sense into our prodigal son and show him how a business is really run?" Han grinned mischievously, and something in his smile was shockingly familiar, almost as if she'd memorized that same full-lipped smile on someone else….

Rey was quiet. Despite how such a partnership might exponentially increase Starkiller's grasp on the galactic marketplace, a powerful sense of loyalty to her grandfather and (oddly enough) to Kylo, along with a well-bred aversion to Light Side companies, forced any thoughts of business transactions firmly away.

"I'm sorry, I won't accept that offer. Starkiller is where I want to be." _Where I'm meant to be._

The hologram flickered, and both seemed chagrined, though the General collected herself rapidly. "I can't quite understand your attraction to my son and his company-"

 _"Attraction!"_

"Must be my genes."

"-but know that the offer still stands if you decide to change your mind." Leia finished, ever the senatorial diplomat.

"You'll come around eventually. In the meantime, welcome to the family!" Han assured her confidently before the holo winked out.

"A very dysfunctional one at that." Rey remarked to the empty room, still peeved at the attraction jibe. Just what made them think she was attracted to Kylo Ren?

"As if that would _ever_ happen."

* * *

Across the base, Kylo was pacing the floor in an angst-fueled power walk. Niney, quiet for once, watched him reflect with only a swivel of a dome head.

"Blast it all!" Kylo muttered, his face dark with purpose. "I can't compete with Matt, painful as it is to accept."

/ _I'm sure your ego will recover. Eventually._ /

A glower worthy of the son of Leia Organa.

Ignoring the look, BB-9E whistled a question.

"What am I going to do? I'll tell you what I'm going to do." Kylo stalked across the floor for several more turns before replying.

"It's time for Matt….to end."

* * *

 _A/N: Duh duh duuuuuhhhhh! *ominous music plays in background*_

 _Things are starting to heat up here! I know there was more drama/plot in this chapter, but have to move the story along, right? I'm thinking there will probably be 2-3 more chapters before the end._

 _I hope you all enjoyed this update and got some laughs out of it as well! Again, thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful reviews, kudos, follows, etc! May your avocados always be ripe and your videos never buffer! 3_

 _Til next week!_


	9. Storms on Cloud Nine

_A/N: Well, here we are at the penultimate chapter! One more to go! I so appreciate you lovely people and kind words, and to those that asked, I would rather give a story a satisfying and definite conclusion versus dragging it out past its plot. Hopefully you all enjoy what story we do have left!_

 _Drama ahead. You have been warned._

* * *

A sterile voice over the Starkiller PA system announced coldly that today was 'Bring Your Droid to Work Day'. The hallways were full of new and various droids of all shapes and sizes, contributing to the considerable increase in noise levels.

BB-8 was having a ball, and happily trailed behind Rey as she went on her morning rounds. It also happened to be the rare day she was allowed to perform radar technician duties before training with Kylo. BB-8 had been thoroughly invested in every aspect, handing her tools, connecting the odd wire or two and whistling at the impressive circuit boards.

Suddenly, BB-8 squealed in excitement as he raced ahead of Rey, running in circles around another BB unit who complacently surveyed the newcomer before chirping. / _You're Rey's droid then? What's your name?_ /

/ _Classified_ / BB-8 sounded mischievous.

"BB-8, mind your manners, this is Kylo Ren's droid BB-9E." Rey introduced as she caught up with her runaway.

Niney appeared unimpressed as BB-8 playfully nudged the black droid while bombarding his audio processors with rapid binary.

Niney swiveled to gaze at Rey through the visual sensor. / _He's very hyper, isn't he?_ /

"He enjoys adventures and meeting other BB units." Rey smiled indulgently as BB-8 beeped and ran more circles around his new friend until Niney's head was spinning so fast it threatened to detach from the black plated body.

/ _What's Kylo like? Rey likes to talk about him a lot_ / BB-8 asked despite Rey's protests to the contrary.

/ _A handful and a half. Like trying to navigate an asteroid field_ /

"That's a new one, you're getting more creative everyday with epithets for me, Niney." Kylo appeared behind them in the hallway, and Rey hoped to heaven he hadn't overheard BB-8's totally, completely untrue statement. She did _not_ like to talk about Kylo anymore than she liked filing data reports about food product consumption.

/ _It's easy to be creative when there's such abundant source material_ / BB-9E retorted, unfazed.

BB-8 rolled to Kylo's feet, his round head tilting backwards to inspect all 187.96000000000000796 cm (he roughly estimated) of the CEO.

"BB-8, I believe?" Kylo nodded his head absently in greeting. "Rey's told me about you."

 _/ Likewise- /_ BB-8 began before a swift and meaningful cough from Rey silenced him on the matter. _/ Rey likes training with you /_ He added, hiding behind BB-9E to dodge a subtle kick from the radar technician.

"Does she?" Kylo sounded intrigued, and his head listed to the side, as if questioning the accuracy of the claim. "I've had my doubts previously." A smile lingered in his voice.

 _/ She just doesn't know how to say it sometimes /_ BB-8 explained confidentially. _/ Plus she likes your muscles /_

"BB-8, I'm sure Kylo has much more _important_ things he has to take care of." Rey interjected, emphasizing her words significantly as heat crept into her cheeks.

"Actually, I don't real-" Kylo started before a few twitters from BB-9E quieted him. "Oh, uh, Niney, I need you with me in the marketing department right away. Apparently." He backtracked, checking a nearby chronometer for show. "Rey, I'll see you in the training room this afternoon. Enjoy Starkiller, BB-8." He motioned to BB-9E to follow him and the pair headed down the hall.

BB-8 turned to stare down Rey. Technically he had to stare up, but the effect was the same. / _His voice processor sounds like an angry rancor. I can see why you like being with him_ /

"I like complaining about him." She corrected. "There's a difference."

/ _Is there really?_ /

"Yes! And watch what you say, or else I won't bring here you next time."

/ _I can't help the way I'm programmed_ /

Rey rolled her eyes, grinning despite herself. BB-8 was a hopeless romantic, it was a programming flaw he'd possessed when she found him, one that she'd never bothered to correct. She was regretting it a little bit now.

"You're impossible."

/ _So is Kylo_ /

"Watch it, I can still change your sarcasm software." She warned glibly.

/ _That's why you love me_ /

* * *

Rey strolled into the canteen, BB-8 close at her heels. She spotted Zack and Tim hunched over a table, with anxious looks on their faces, and made a beeline for the pair.

"...you mean she hasn't heard yet? Isn't she technically his boss?"

"Supposedly the orders came from waay up top. Like Kylo Ren himself ordered it. I just heard it from Myra because she was in Bryon's office when the call came." Tim was explaining as Rey walked up.

"Should we tell her?"

"Tell me what?" Rey questioned, scaring both men into instantly elevated blood pressures as she sat down. She noted the somber atmosphere and her eyebrows dipped forward in a frown. "What's going on that two you don't want me finding out about?"

Zack became suddenly preoccupied in pushing the food on his tray around, and Tim found something very interesting in the pattern of dents in the battered metal table.

"Guys." Rey insisted, curiosity spiked as concern washed over her. "Tell me, please."

Tim shot an appealing glance at Zack, the 'don't-make-me-tell-her-the-bad-news' kind of look, but the officer shrugged helplessly, merely commenting, "We might as well, she was bound to figure it out eventually."

Tim heaved the heavy sigh of a martyr, making sure Rey was aware of the sacrifice he was making for her by becoming the bearer of bad news. "Matt got…." He wrestled with himself before dropping the dreaded F-bomb, the single word that kept employees in terror, unruly troopers in line, and had sent Veronica from Asset Managment into a nervous breakdown last year.

"...Fired."

There was silence as Rey stared blankly at the pair, uncomprehending, before letting out a short bark of laughter. "That's impossible, Matt's become an excellent worker. Nice trap, boys, not falling for it."

"We thought it was a joke too, but Rey, he really is fired." Zack seconded sadly. "Several people saw him go to empty his locker not ten minutes ago."

Panic, confusion, then distinct alarm swept throughout Rey's body, and she knew her raw emotions were on prominent display for the present company. "Th-that's insane, why would he be fired? He hasn't done anything wrong!" She sucked in a breath as a terrible thought assaulted her brain. "Has he already left the base?" She demanded desperately. If this awful nightmare was real, there was no way in the galaxy Matt would leave without saying goodbye to her first.

"I think he still might be emptying his locker. Myra said they escorted him there, and no doubt will send him straight off after that." Tim shook his head in sorrow. Despite his awkward quirks, Matt had been a good guy, and he deserved better than the boot, red slip, and three days severance pay.

His words fell on semi-deaf ears as Rey sent trays and forks rattling in her mad dash for the canteen door. She had to reach Matt.

Zack and Tim watched her leave, the latter sighing regretfully and turning to BB-8, who seemed dreadfully confused as to where he should go.

"Droid, I hope you have a break-up management program somewhere in that processor of yours."

* * *

Ignoring the shouts of annoyance and puzzled stares as she bowled through the crowded hallways, Rey slammed the door to the locker room open with a resounding bang.

"Matt!" She yelled, uncaring of the pair of troopers framing the doorway or the handful of other employees scattered throughout the common area.

A blonde head peeped out from behind the corner of a row of lockers. "Yes?"

Relief washed over Rey, followed by vivid anger. "Tim and Zack said that you'd, that you'd been- fired." She managed, hastily walking over to him. "Is it true?" She asked, needing the verbal confirmation even though the stormtroopers, Matt's half-empty locker and his refusal to make eye contact proved her worst fears.

Unsightly tears threatened to spill and Rey struggled to inhale the unreasonable sob that clawed at her throat. "It is true." She answered her own question. _"Why?"_

"Orders from up top." Matt's voice was quiet and his gaze worried as it raked over her face, his hands twisting together as if unsure whether to comfort her or not. "I have to leave right after I clean out my locker."

"Were you going to tell me?" Rey pressed, the emotions and feelings she'd instinctively known all along bubbling to the surface and demanding release in expression. "Or were you just going to leave Starkiller without a word?" _And leave me._ Her heart added with a pang.

"It's for the best, Rey," Matt's half-smile was weak and forced. "We've had a good time though, haven't we?" He attempted to sidestep around her, but Rey was faster, whirling to clutch his sleeve.

"Answer me, Matt, would you have left without even saying goodbye?" _After all we've shared? After how close we've become?_

"Rey…." A note of pleading crept into his voice as he gently tried to shake off Rey's clinging grasp. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be. You have a great career ahead of you, and I know you'll be happy and successful."

A sob did escape then _-if he thinks I could be happy without our friendship-_ and before her brain could scream at her body to behave itself, Rey had pulled the bewildered Matt to her and captured his lips in a desperate kiss. She put all the force of her longing and loneliness and fear of loss into the kiss, her chest churning at her bold move. Something twisted in her gut as her emotions skyrocketed, and whispers of past voices floated on an impossible breeze. The same wholeness and centeredness she felt when tapping into the Force flooded her veins, even as the world tilted and spun beneath her feet.

For the space of a heartbeat, she felt Matt's cool lips warm and start to melt and mold against her own, before he broke away, face flushed and panting. His mouth gaped open like dead pik-pok fish until Rey reached up and carefully pushed his jaw closed with a snick.

Matt stared at her, part horror and part repressed longing, and it seemed that a thousand lifetimes flashed through his eyes as Rey waited imploringly, breathlessly.

"Please don't look at me like that. I can't be what you need." Matt finally whispered hoarsely, swallowing hard before squirming free of her arms, snatching up his locker contents and backing out of the room. "Goodbye, Rey."

She could have sworn his voice broke on her name. Then he was gone.

Rey made to follow Matt out of the room, but the stormtroopers blocked her path. "Sorry miss, orders from above say the terminated employee is to leave the base unaccompanied." One trooper informed her in a tone that might have been sympathetic had not his helmet scrambler erased all human emotion from his voice.

Rey's eyes widened in horror and comprehension before her brows crashed together in righteous anger. "Orders from above…." She seethed, hands clenching in spasms.

 _"Kylo."_

* * *

Kylo was racing down the hall, as if his quick pace could outstrip his tumultuous emotions. The burn of Rey's lips against his own had not faded, and he was so absorbed in recalling the way she'd tasted like honey and cinnamon, he failed to notice the very person he was daydreaming about standing petulantly before him.

 _"KYLO REN!"_

A fierce jerk on his arm as he sailed past abruptly changed his trajectory, the momentum swinging his body around, and nearly crashing into the spitting image of rage that was he belatedly realized was Rey.

 _"Bring him back!"_

Rey's eyes blazed with Sith aggression and Kylo shrugged off the tendrils of nervousness as he watched the golden light grow in her eyes in direct relation to her quickly shrinking moral grounds. She looked prepared to slice him open on the spot if it would reinstate Matt.

"Who?" He asked coolly, marveling at himself and his own audacity.

It was the wrong move. A dull thud and shooting pain along his back told him as much, as Rey Force-shoved him into the wall, glowering balefully.

"Don't play smart with me, _Kylo_. You fired Matt because you couldn't wrap your narrow mind around the fact that I like him better than you, so _bring. Him. Back!"_ She gripped Kylo's collar and pressed her forearm into his windpipe, determination etched so relentlessly into her features that Kylo didn't doubt her capacity for harming him. But with a twist and quick movement, Kylo had escaped and now faced her, palms extended placatingly.

"I did it for the benefit of the company, Rey. You were getting too distracted when Matt was around. Besides, you didn't really like him that much."

"Is that so?" Rey snapped, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Then come and prove it." The soft hiss of plasma followed as she activated her lightsaber, the deep ruby blades reflecting off the earnest intensity in her gaze.

Kylo willed himself to resist, but his hand still moved to his belt, the familiar crackling saber springing to life to match Rey's. "You'll be a better Vice President now that he's gone." He insisted stonily, irritation clashing loudly with his previous tender feelings over their shared kiss. Why did she have to get upset and ruin it all?

"You're more mental than I thought, if you still think I'd ever dream of working with a selfish spoiled brat like you now that Matt's gone!" Rey charged, dual blades spinning as they met Kylo's in a flurry of sparks.

"Matt, Matt, Matt, everything was always about kriffing Matt!" Kylo exploded, deftly blocking her frontal attack. "With all the time you spent with him it's a wonder you got anything accomplished at all!"

"Stop referring to him in the past tense!"

"Then stop trying to kill me and just kriffing accept your destiny already!" Kylo hurled back, dodging a sizzling uppercut that singed the edges of his tunic, missing his leg by inches.

"Rey, it's time to let old friendships die. We can start a new company, bring Starkiller to unimaginable heights!" He pleaded, frustration still lacing his tones as he parried yet another driving estrogen-fueled strike. "Please!"

Rey for her part only grew more irritated with Kylo's refusal to take an offensive stance in their impromptu duel. He merely defended her verbal accusations and ducked her physical blows, but did not attack. "I would sooner work for the Resistance!"

"You're bluffing!" Kylo growled possessively. "You wouldn't dare!"

"I would and I am! I'm leaving Starkiller for the Resistance!" She spat savagely. "In fact, I already set up the meeting to accept a job offer from your parents!" She had contacted Han and Leia immediately after leaving Matt, and now she recklessly spilled the information that jumped into the forefront of her mind, which was casting about frantically for something to wipe those shiny silver grooves off his mask and the controlling attitude from his voice. She aimed for his ego.

It worked. For a fraction of a second, Kylo was shocked into dropping his guard, and Rey seized the moment. Delivering a swift kick to the gut, the twin blades whined and howled as they met steel and beta armor. Sparks burst into being as Kylo stumbled backwards and fell on his back, half his helmet sliced open as a dark red stain filled the burn splayed across his face.

 _His face._ Rey saw features wallowing in pain and twisted in anguish _-pain she'd caused-_ bloodless skin in stark contrast to the steady pump of deep red- _oh stars what had she done-_ trickling down his half-exposed chin. And his eyes… Brown and hurting and gut-wrenchingly familiar as they stared in distress at her heaving form.

Rey took a few shaky steps backwards, lowering her lightsaber, her parched lips rasping together to form coherent words. "Kylo…"

His throat worked violently, and without warning, he leaped to his feet and sped down the hallway and out of sight.

Rey couldn't summon the strength to follow,

* * *

"Get me a med droid!" Kylo roared at BB-9E as he burst through the doors of his room, one soaked gloved hand clutching the right side of his face as blood oozed from between his fingers. Niney sent out an high-pitched siren of worried binary, racing and rolling around the room to accomplish his task.

Shortly thereafter, Kylo was seated in a chair, face wincing as a med droid pricked and prodded at his wound. The blood washed now away, the cut proved to be fairly minimal, though the med droid informed him that scarring was unavoidable as a black bacta strip was pasted to his face. BB-9E still whizzed worriedly around the chair, alternating between chiding Kylo for his foolishness and stressing over the wound that had barely missed taking an eyeball.

"I'm okay, Niney." Kylo groaned, leaning back in his chair, hissing as the medical droid jabbed a particularly tender spot. "But I think our plans have gone slightly of course."

/ _What did you do to Rey?!_ /

Kylo was silent, the full reality of the situation just beginning to settle on his shoulders in weighty despair. "She's quitting."

* * *

Rey had stood frozen in the hallway for several minutes, her brain spinning and lightsaber still glowing fiercely at her side. She blinked furiously, willing the face she'd seen splattered with blood to be something-someone-other than what it was. She'd seen those eyes before.

"No, no, I'm just emotional and not thinking clearly about this." She muttered, sheathing her saber to massage her now-pounding head. "It's a mind trick, a coincidence." She chanted to herself as she slowly headed for the lift.

A new comm briefly distracted her from her mantra. Han and Leia were on waiting via holo for her on the bridge. Right. The job offer. She'd been angry and half-blind with rage when she'd punched the call through, practically shouting at the hapless Resistance officer to tell the General they were getting one new employee quicker than a Wookie could finish a plate of fried porg before stomping off to deliver the brunt of her wrath on Kylo Ren.

Now, with the heat of her passion ebbing, a cold chill shivered her spine, devoid of the warmth the use of the Dark Side brought. Could she really leave Starkiller Base, the hope she'd pinned all her goals and aspirations on? Could she forsake her heritage and dishonor the memory of her grandfather? Matt's pained expression drifted to mind, and Rey knew then with deathly certainty that Starkiller had no place for her without a corresponding spot for Matt.

The lift doors slid closed behind her as she sped upwards to the bridge in silence.

"I'm sorry, Papa."

* * *

 _A/N: Whew, that was more angsty than planned, but gotta indulge the Dark Side a bit, right? ;) Plus, it was bound to happen sooner or later._

 _Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, let me know what you thought of Kylo's plan to 'end Matt' and Rey's reaction to it!_

 _One more week and one more chapter..._


	10. 10-10 Would Recommend

_A/N: Firstly, I'm so sorry this is a few days late! I didn't intend to keep you guys waiting, but this past week has been pretty rough/busy, making it difficult to write comedy. But your encouragement and love is so appreciated, thank you guys for coming along on this journey! Hard to believe we're at the end already... I hope you enjoy the final chapter!_

* * *

Hux drummed impatient fingers on the polished railing in the command center of Starkiller Base, his irritation plainly written across his pale, narrow face. A Resistance Inc. operative had sent an urgent private holo for Rey, and the new Chief Financial Officer was taking her sweet time arriving. Hux was itching to know the reason behind the unexpected communication, and he loathed having any Resistance employee, even in holo form, on the base for a millisecond longer than necessary.

He wrangled the metal bar in a white-fisted grip (Though technically all his grips were white-fisted, on account of the obscene pallor of his skin. They'd called him Cream Cheese Legs as a child because of it. Thankfully, all his childhood playmates had been disposed of, so the horrendous nickname had died with them. Now it was his deepest kept secret, Kylo would never let him forget it should he find out).

"Uh, sir?"

Hux blinked, cursing his revolting trip down memory lane. "What?" He snapped at the lieutenant.

"Sir, she's on her way." The officer spoke up from the lower level of the command center.

"Well, it's about time." The general grumbled, flexing his stiff fingers to restore the blood flow. "She's an excellent worker, but we haven't got all day. Who does she think she is, the bloody empress? Shameful."

* * *

Rey felt like her feet had been trapped in swamp slime as the lift _dinged_ softly, indicating she'd arrived at the bridge. She leaned heavily against the lift walls, watching the lights blink with glazed eyes, but made no move to open the doors. A thousand thoughts zipped through her brain, and she couldn't help but think that the Force had just played her for a fool.

 _What was I **thinking?**_

Starkiller held no place for her without Matt, but she also knew deep in her bones that she could never join the Resistance Inc. The very idea made her stomach churn, but she had been so _angry,_ so zealous to make Kylo feel the rage she'd felt, that she had grasped at straws and only increased the mess she now found herself in. After the shock of kissing Matt and the knowledge of his firing, she'd only wanted to hurt Kylo, physically and mentally. So she'd played the odds, betting against the house in her need to take action, and she'd lost. Spectacularly.

Now the Force was sniggering in its sleeve at the ironic twist of things. Because the very man she'd defended, now appeared to be the same man she'd attacked. Kylo's half bloody and wide-eyed face haunted her mind's eye like an annoyingly persistent Force ghost.

 _No. No, no, no._ Her eyes had seldom failed her before, but if what they told her was real…. No, it _couldn'_ t be true. There was absolutely no way in the galaxy that Kylo Ren could be….. Besides, if her eyes were telling the truth that her brain refused to accept, that meant reevaluating everything she thought she knew about Kylo….and Matt. But which was real? Who was real? Was their entire friendship a lie? Rey replayed the events of the past few weeks, painfully noting how things like unexplained outbursts and odd behavior lined up with this starting new theory.

K _riff. Kriffing kriff kriff._ A frustrated scream threatened to escape her throat, and Rey clapped a hand over her mouth as the revelation _\- the truth_ -finally dawned on her in the light of harsh reality. This brought on an entirely new set of complications.

"Ack, of course you would make me fall in love with you in disguise!" She growled at the opposite wall. "Trick me into caring about you! And I bet your ego just couldn't take it when I preferred Matt to the real you."

But she needed to be absolutely sure, especially before she made anymore rash decisions. Rey grimaced at the awkward conversation with Han and Leia that awaited her on the bridge, rehearsing how she would explain that she actually wouldn't be accepting their offer, but had only done so in name in order to get revenge on their son who had fired the man she loved who had turned out to be the very same stuck up CEO who's face she had just carved with her lightsaber while defending the radar technician he'd pretended to be.

Loving Matt meant loving Kylo. But, loving Kylo also meant loving Matt. A hiccupping laugh (or sob, they were about the same at this point) broke free as she shook her head. "Why does everything about you have to be so complicated?" _It's rather like a trademark characteristic._ "Who are you, really?" She groaned into her hands. What if the person, names and hair color aside, the _person_ she'd come to care about so wretchedly deeply was nothing more than a cruel trick of superb acting? A fanciful alter ego that only masked the real person beneath? Which was Kylo's true personality?

Her confusion was a tangible entity now, and she grabbed hold of it, allowing the swelling emotions to guide her to the Force, to centeredness. _Papa, I'm so lost._

 _No one can call you lost if you're following the path of your own making._

The thought was quiet, but oh-so-familiar, prodding at the forefront of her mind. She'd heard that phrase said countless times in the past, by none other than….

 _Papa, is that you?_ She reached out with her mind, her breath catching.

 _Well, it certainly isn't Grand Moff Tarkin. The old prune, ruining my first Death Star. Rude._

"I've missed you so much!" This time the words were spoken aloud, and Rey became immensely grateful for the empty lift she'd sequestered herself in. Enough horror stories and urban legends already surrounded the Starkiller Mental Evaluation Ward, Gerald from the Sanitation Department had never been heard from again. Rey had no desire to be added to the patient list if someone spotted her rambling to herself in a lift. "Why haven't you talked to me before?"

 _I've tried to provide the standard mystic and vaguely helpful inspirational whisper here and there. Haven't you been listening?_

"I guess I thought it was just the Force talking." Rey admitted sheepishly.

A distant chuckle. _You have much to learn, but you have already come so far. I'm proud of you, Rey._

Rey's throat tightened and her voice grew husky. "Thank you Papa, that's all I ever wanted was to make you proud." She stared down at the grey tiled lift floor unhappily. "Though now I've gone and messed it all up."

 _It's not too late, now is the time to fulfill your destiny, and rise to the heights of Starkiller Base. Kylo has been a most excellent teacher. I approve your mutual attraction._

"Mutual?!" Rey sputtered a bit, but the word lacked conviction.

 _Search your feelings, Rey. You know it to be true._

Rey was silent, the painful wrenching of her heart proof that her grandfather spoke true (though technically his words weren't spoken, they were Force-whispered but details).

 _Also, if he lays one improper finger on you, I'll blast that spawn of Lord Vader into-_

"Relax Papa, I don't think he'll be crossing me anytime soon." Rey soothed. "I kinda majorly cut his face." Her own face fell. "I hope he forgives me."

 _I saw that fight, good for you. He should thank you for it, scars increase Dark Side ability and intensify angst. Not as much as losing a limb, but still. Progress. You might think of getting a few scars of your own sometime._

"Emotional or physical?" Rey teased. "I suppose I should go talk to Kylo now." She hummed, brushing back wayward strands of hair with a long sigh.

 _Do it. Do it now. I'll be watching everything._

"Uh, that's a little uncomfortable."

An insistent thumping on the closed door of the lift shook her from her conversation with her dead grandfather. A flood of binary, sounding frazzled and stressed, floated through the door.

"Niney?" Rey punched the button and the doors slid open. "BB-8? What are you two doing here?"

/ _Trying to repair the damage you and Kylo made_ / Niney tooted reprovingly.

/ _By repair we mean the hole in Kylo's face_ / BB-8 explained cheerily, nuzzling her legs in greeting.

Rey pulled a face, guilt gnawing uncomfortably at her insides. "I didn't mean to hurt him that bad."

/ _Yes, yes you did_ /

"Okay, yes I kinda did, but that's besides the point. Is he alright?"

/ _Physically? Yes. Emotionally? Questionable_ / Niney reported, wheeling around Rey in circles. / _So basically the same as always_ /

Rey chuckled despite herself. "I'm on my way, is he in his rooms?"

The droids bobbed in unison.

Rey exhaled, rubbing her hands together. "Wish me luck."

/ _Rey_ /

She turned to face BB-9E, who rolled up to her feet. / _Matt's-Kylo's-personality wasn't an act. I should know, I've had to put up with lovestruck Kylo being jealous of himself_ /

Rey's chest lurched, and she impulsively knelt down and threw her arms around the round droid. "Thank you." She turned and strode down the hallway and out of sight.

Niney turned to BB-8 in wonderment. / _Is this what being appreciated feels like?_ /

/ _Just wait until she gives you awesome processor upgrades_ /

/ _Rey approval rating increasing by 113%_ /

* * *

The med droid had completed his work, and Niney had disappeared, leaving Kylo alone and seated glumly in a chair facing a large window that overlooked the snowy planet.

He still couldn't quite believe how terribly _wrong_ everything had gone. Nor could he wrap his head around the fact that Rey was going to work for the Resistance. It _had_ to be a bluff. Not that it mattered now, she hated him either way. He glared down at his covered abs. _You failed me._ Now what did he do?

"Grandfather, master of darkness and star-crossed love affairs, supreme authority on all sand matters, what should I do?" He asked miserably, directing the question to the burnt skeleton of Darth Vader's helmet that was prominently displayed on a nearby pedestal. A large 'DO NOT TOUCH OR FACE MY FURY' plaque neatly written in script hung below the helmet.

"I'm sorry for slicing your face open."

 _Rey._ He stiffened, shoulders tensing at the unexpected visitor. His back was to the door and he kept his patched-up and unmasked face averted. "It's going to scar."

"I'm told scars increase Dark Side ability." Rey offered from behind, sounding closer than before.

"So am I supposed to thank you for making me more irresistible than I already am?" His voice was neutral and carefully measured.

Rey was silent, and Kylo heaved a resigned sigh.

 _"Fine._ Thank you." He'd secretly been wanting more physical scars, and the sexy eye scar was especially potent. "I hope you'll be very happy with your new position." He added stiffly, determinedly gazing out the window and ignoring the movement in his peripheral vision.

"I never really meant to accept that offer." Rey stepped sideways to view his profile, trying to catch his eye, but still he stared straight ahead. His distinct look of relief didn't escape her notice, however.

"Then you may consider my well-wishes retracted. I didn't mean them anyways, I was actually hoping the Resistance would go bankrupt. Besides, you'd never throw your life away like that."

"I still can't work at Starkiller without the man that has become my best friend." Rey continued, smiling at his endearing bluntness. How had she missed all the similarities between the two personas? Granted, Kylo had done his best to hide them, but now they jumped out at her, glaringly obvious and awkward.

"Matt has been terminated. Fired. Cut. Let go. Can't you accept that?" _Can't you accept me?_ His voice was weary and Rey silently took in the splotches of dried blood on his hands, which lay clenched into fists on his knees.

"No, I can't accept that." She paused, moving even closer. He twisted his face away. "Because I realized something about that man. He's not just a friend, you know."

"Let me guess, he's the love of your life, he completely understands you when no one else did because you connect on a spiritual level, and the two of you are made for each other. Right?" _I'm not bitter, I'm not bitter, I'm not bit- Kriff, I am_ so _bitter._

"Essentially." Rey knelt before Kylo to be on eye-level as she quietly surveyed his face. Broad, high cheekbones framed by dark wavy hair, full lips and brown eyes that stubbornly gazed past her own. A bacta strip split his face in stark contrast to his pale skin. _Like he's been playing hide and seek with the sun his entire life. I like it._

"Well, then go chase after him and mangle his facial features while you profess your undying friendship." Kylo grumped.

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" She laughed softly, gauging his reaction. His eyes were the size of prog eyes, and he looked down at her in shock, processing the meaning of her words. "I realized I love that man."

Kylo's face was ashen. "Rey, I-"

She silenced him with kiss, and Kylo very nearly passed out then and there. _Two in one day_! This was even better than the day he'd found Darth Vader's helmet. He felt like he'd rocketed to another galaxy, and left his stomach behind.

Rey pulled away long enough to smile up at him. "It's you, Kylo. Or should I say Matt?"

He should start a tally system for the number of times she had knocked him speechless. He merely gaped at her, his vocal cords failing. Internally, he was screaming. Very loudly.

 _She loves me._

 _Rey loves **me.** **Kylo.**_

 _….._

 _aaAAAAAAAAAaaeeeeeeiiiIIIIIIiiihhhHHHHHHH_

"Yes, I know the truth now." She admitted, interrupting Kylo from his inner celebration. "I should have realized it sooner."

He shook his head dazedly, clearing his throat to jumpstart his voice. "No, no, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you, or flipped out on you so many times."

"Hey, being emotional is the way of the Dark Side." She reminded him, quoting his own words back to him as she pulled him to his feet. "It happens when you get caught up in restoring the galaxy to its rightful state."

"I have a new-found respect for what my employees do." Kylo agreed, snaking his arms around her. "It's not as easy as I presumed."

"And with a partner, I think you'll find it much easier to finish what Darth Vader, what both our grandfathers, started." A rueful expression crossed her face. "I'm sorry for making fun about Darth Vader, I didn't mean it. Everyone knows he was my grandfather's best and right hand man."

 _You beautiful Dark Side girl, you._ "I love you." He replied simply, tugging her closer and into a fierce and fiery kiss. _I could get used to this._

"I accept." Rey panted as they parted, chest rising rapidly.

"Wha-a-what?" Kylo stammered, entirely lost in the way her eyes were shining like the autumn sky on Corellia.

Rey smiled slyly. "I accept your offer of co-president of Starkiller."

"Vice president." He corrected, still half-disbelieving.

"Co-president."

"How about junior president?"

"Co-president."

"Co-president." Kylo agreed hastily, before she changed her mind. "You can handle negotiations with the Resistance then, since my parents-the source of my genetic material-seem to love you so much."

"I'm sure the finance department will thank me for the cut-down in slashed office chairs and ruined walls." She smirked up at him. "And I do believe we could negotiate a mutually beneficial partnership with the Resistance. I think the General will be more disposed to sell subsidiaries to us now."

"That's my empress." He laughed softly under his breath, falling silent as he cupped her face in his hands. "I was wrong to try and coerce you into a job. I do believe you've earned it, though. There's a lot to learn."

"Good thing I have a teacher to show me. So, what benefit packages come with this co-presidency promotion?" Rey teased, twining her arms around his neck and grinning mischievously.

"Oh, you get the whole package." Kylo assured her, gesturing to himself and his abs confidently. "And I can think of more than a few agreeable benefits." He dipped his head and claimed her mouth to illustrate his point.

"Well, now I know of one way to shut you up in a board meeting." Rey said rather breathlessly when they surfaced for air.

Kylo suddenly became serious, needing an answer for an issue that had been nagging at him since the revelation of Rey's feelings for him. "Rey, I have important question to ask you." He sucked in a deep preparatory breath. This was it. The moment of truth.

"Do you like the blonde wig better than my real hair?" He blurted out desperately. "I mean, if it's a huge deal, I can wear it now and then, though it is rather scratchy, and you would not believe the split ends it causes, and how hard it is to keep moisturiz-" He was violently distracted by the cool fingers Rey was currently running through his natural hair.

"I've always had a thing for brunettes." She confessed, earning a responding grin as Kylo gratefully tightened his grip on her waist.

"Goes both ways, I do believe." He paused, considering. "I guess I should make the bombshell announcement to rest of the employees that I'm not really Matt, and that they're going to love the new me." He brightened. "I'll give a speech!"

"I love the old and new you, awkwardness, emotional issues and all." Rey beamed playfully, an impish glint lighting her eyes. "Besides, we don't have to tell them right away. I believe I have a very important and urgent meeting with the CEO of Starkiller Base."

Kylo would have readily agreed had not his mouth been somewhat occupied.

If Rey and Kylo would have had any attention to spare, they would have noticed the two BB units peering into the room from the safety of the doorframe.

/ _By the Maker, took them long enough!_ / Niney tooted warmly, doing an gleeful twirl. / _Now it's time to write up Kylo's bill for my therapy sessions, he's got quite the tab_ /

/ _The Empress and the CEO_ / BB-8 whistled in contentment. / _So romantic my circuits are fritzing_ /

/ _Good thing they have us to keep things lively_ /

BB-8 poked his sensor back into the room. / _Don't humans need to breathe? I think they're forgetting to do so_ /

Niney looked inside again. / _Maker, they won't have any faces left soon! We should save them, remind them to breath before they pass out. And I know just how to get Kylo's attention_ /

BB-8 nodded sagely. / _One question first_ /

/ _What?_ /

/ _Is it true that Kylo Ren is shredded?_ /

Niney whipped out an extensor claw, eyeing Kylo's shirt meaningfully. / _You can come see for yourself_ /

The two droids darted inside, sinfully unrepentant.

"What the- _NINEY!"_

/ _Mission accomplished_ /

* * *

 _A/N: Aaaand that's a wrap, folks! I could not have done it without your amazing supportive words and readership! Feel free to say hello or drop a review anytime, I'm on Tumblr under earial13 and I love answering asks. :D You all have been the best, please let me know what you thought of the last chapter, it's been a blast writing for you guys! May the Force be with you all! Much love! Xx_


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